Attractions Expert Q&A: Mike Barclay

By Kendall Wolf

Before joining Mandai Wildlife Group, Mike Barclay was the CEO of the Sentosa Development Corporation, which manages, develops, operates, and maintains Sentosa Island, Singapore. His present focus is on the Mandai Rejuvenation Project, a major development project to add new zoos, indoor attractions, accommodations, and destination dining to the existing parks at Mandai.

What theme park or animal park souvenir might we be surprised to find on your shelf? What’s the story behind it?

It is a rather beautiful piece of granite rock. It’s about the size of my fist, speckled black and white with pink traces, and is estimated to be 240 million years old. The rock was excavated when we were preparing the ground for our new bird park, Bird Paradise.

It reminds me of how far we have come since we began our project eight years ago to transform Singapore’s Mandai Wildlife Reserve into a world-leading nature and wildlife destination. By the end of the rejuvenation project, we will offer five zoological parks, indoor attractions, a resort, and a variety of destination dining outlets at Mandai, situated next to a reservoir and nature reserve.

What theme park or animal park have you always wanted to visit but have never been to?

The Uganda Wildlife Conservation Center is an animal rescue center and zoological park run by a wonderful, purpose-driven team. They do great work educating the general public and proactively conserving threatened native species.  

Was there an animal park or attraction that made you want to be in this industry? How did it inspire you?

I first visited Singapore’s Night Safari in 1994, just after the park opened, and I was completely captivated by it. When it opened, it was the world’s first “night zoo,” featuring nocturnal species from tropical habitats around the world. I particularly enjoyed heading out on its walking trails in the pale moonlight, with night crickets and treefrogs providing a natural soundscape spiced up by the roars of lions and the cackling of hyenas.

The walking trails meandered through natural, open enclosures featuring amazing “animals of the night.”  I had no idea then that twenty years later, I would be appointed CEO of the Mandai Wildlife Group, which includes the Night Safari in its stable of zoological parks.

What was your favorite attraction or exhibit as a child, and why?

As a young boy, I was captivated by the ant exhibit in the old insect house at the London Zoo. It included cross-sections of large ant hills set behind glass screens, and I spent ages watching the industrious insects moving through their underground corridors and harvesting food from above ground. I must have driven my brothers crazy, who couldn’t wait to see the more charismatic animals nearby.

Was there an attraction or character that frightened you as a child?

The movie Jaws was released when I was a child living in the West Indies. I spent much of my time playing around the reefs and in the ocean, and we regularly saw sharks swimming by. It took me some time to get back into the water after older kids told me stories about what Jaws was responsible for in the movie.

What was your oddest or coolest job in a theme park or animal park?

I used to work on the island of Sentosa, a leisure-themed destination just off the coast of Singapore that features a host of attractions and Singapore’s best beaches. I spent a day volunteering with the Beach Rescue Team and was put through their fitness, swimming, and rescue drills.   It was exhausting! I truly appreciate everyone who works to keep beaches safe for water sports enthusiasts. 

What attraction or park do you think everyone needs to experience and why?

I sincerely believe everyone should visit the Singapore Zoo. It opened 50 years ago as an “open” zoo. The founders were determined that all the animal exhibits should be free of traditional barriers and that all the animals had the right to the highest standards of welfare and care.

My favorite exhibits include the Orangutan Island, where orangutans can roam freely through the nearby trees, and the Fragile Forest walk through aviary, where a bewildering variety of tropical animals share the space with their human visitors.     

If you were tasked with creating a new food for visitors, what would it be?

It would be a plant-based menu cooked from carefully selected, sustainably sourced ingredients with the lowest possible carbon footprint. It would be both educational and delicious.

You’re a walk-around character for a day; who do you choose?

Our orangutan mascot, Ah Meng. Ah Meng was a wonderfully charismatic female orangutan. She was a devoted mother and grandmother, and she formed a special bond with the first Chairman of the Singapore Zoo, joining him in his golf buggy for his daily tour around the park. Ah Meng was so famous that Michael Jackson asked to meet her, along with royals and other stars of the day.    

What types of animal parks or attractions would you like to see more of and why?

All attractions play an important role in their respective communities. I would challenge us all to be purposeful in our business practice, to maximize the opportunity to embrace diversity, and to promote social care, education, sustainable living, and wildlife conservation. 

Did you have surprises in your career?

Yes, many! I feel particularly privileged to have tried out many different jobs over the years, from teaching and consulting to running an airline, a leisure island, and a zoological organization. Perhaps the most surprising thing is that however different the cultural practices have been in the countries I have lived in and the companies I have worked for, the good nature of people has always shone through. The human spirit is a powerful force for good, and we are much more alike than we think! 

Can you talk about what you are working on these days?

Other than the work we are doing to rejuvenate the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, I love what we are doing to grow our conservation impact across Southeast Asia. We now support about 50 conservation projects in the region, focusing on protecting threatened animal species, preserving and regenerating natural habitats, and working with local communities to improve their livelihoods. We always look for ways to link what we do or sell at our zoos with the conservation work we undertake in the field. For example, we buy shade-grown coffee beans from the highland villages of Central Java in Indonesia in return for seeking their assistance in protecting the local forests and the native “Owa” (or Silvery) gibbon. We roast and blend the beans in Singapore, serving and selling it as “Owa” coffee at our zoos. 

Learn more about the Mandai Rejuvenation Project here.

You are going to your favorite theme park or animal park; which people (dead or alive) are you taking with you?

I would ask to be joined “from the heavens” by naturalists Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace and the charismatic zoologist and TV personality Steve Irwin, as well as Sir David Attenborough from the present. I would be fascinated by their stories of adventuring all over the world to better understand the animal kingdom and discuss what more we could do today to protect species in today’s fast-changing world.   

Kendall Wolf is a long-time consultant in the themed entertainment industry. She has worked with designers, producers, and fabricators to help developers create unique and successful projects around the world. In 2017, she introduced Merlin Entertainments to a development group in Sichuan province for the first Legoland park in China. Kendall continues to consult for the developer to open more themed resorts in China.