The lush greenery and vibrant wildlife of Singapore are treasured by many, but it takes agencies like the National Parks Board (NParks) to conserve and protect them for generations to come.

NParks is at the forefront of Singapore’s efforts to conserve its natural wonders and promote animal welfare. It offers scholarships to passionate individuals like Petrina Teo who play a vital role in safeguarding the nation’s rich biodiversity.

Petrina sees her role as a Veterinarian under the Wildlife Management division at NParks as the ideal combination of her love for animals and nature. As someone who grew up with a passion for the outdoors and its creatures, it was natural for her to gravitate towards this industry.

Following Her Heart

Petrina’s interest in wildlife medicine was sparked during her university days when she took an elective in Scottish wildlife and interned under the Wildlife Management division at NParks.

“These experiences inspired me to take an active role in the conservation of Singapore’s biodiversity,” she said. “Furthermore, being a wildlife vet means that you get to treat and interact with a whole range of animal species, from birds to mammals and reptiles. There is never a dull day!”

Petrina chose to apply for an Overseas Undergraduate Scholarship with the then Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) as it was one of the few organisations offering scholarships for a veterinary medicine degree, and she believed that it would provide her with ample opportunities for learning. She was given the opportunity to explore her future career through the connections she made with other AVA and NParks vets, as well as through internships at different divisions in both organisations.

While studying for her bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery at Glasgow University’s School of Veterinary Medicine, she accumulated a wealth of knowledge and experience which proved to be invaluable to the work she does today. For instance, she gained insight into how veterinarians treat animals in various fields, and in different parts of the world.

During her studies, she also had the opportunity to apply her veterinary knowledge across a wide range of animal species and combine different fields of knowledge such as zoonosis and the One Health concept, which refers to the approach that recognises that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and our shared environment. She also learned the importance of good communication skills to convey ideas and expertise to others, be they clients, members of the public or other colleagues.

Despite the disruption caused by the onset of Covid-19 in her final year of studies, Petrina received the necessary support from NParks and encouragement from her university, family, and peers which helped her through the process.

Committed to Wildlife Conservation

In her current role as a Veterinarian at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation, Petrina rescues, treats and rehabilitates injured wildlife. A critical aspect of her work is assessing the social and ecological carrying capacity of wildlife species in urban habitats to determine the stability of their population size. Her division is responsible for habitat conservation and the minimisation of man-made threats to wildlife. This is done via population monitoring measures, conflict resolution methods, and reproductive management strategies.

She also supports various wildlife population management and research efforts, including wildlife disease biosurveillance and DNA databanking programmes. Petrina also believes that the community outreach aspect of her work is particularly important as we need the community’s support to enable our biodiversity to thrive.

“Despite Singapore’s small size, our city is home to very rich native biodiversity. Our efforts to enhance our natural spaces under our City in Nature vision have also brought people and nature closer together,” she shared. “There are thus many more opportunities for people to encounter nature. A large part of our work goes towards ensuring that these encounters are safe, enjoyable and enriching.”

Petrina’s vision for Singapore’s natural landscape aligns remarkably well with NParks’ City in Nature initiative. She dreams of a future where we can live harmoniously with and alongside nature. In her work with NParks, she has had many opportunities to contribute to this cause.

One such instance that has remained etched in her memory is when she was involved in the transfer of a small family of Smooth-coated Otters that had been trapped within a residential estate. “It was nerve-wracking as otters are known to be protective of their young, and there were a lot of considerations in moving them to ensure the safety of the otter family and personnel involved.”

She worked closely with the Otter Working Group and was able to transfer the otters out of the estate to an area where they would have access to their natural food sources. The incident epitomises her reasons for doing this job, which are being able to mitigate issues that could arise from human-wildlife encounters and safeguarding the welfare of wildlife.

Petrina has also had the opportunity to tackle complex issues regarding human-wildlife encounters, including emerging zoonotic spillover events. “I am excited to develop skills in disease epidemiology and surveillance to safeguard both human and wildlife populations,” she said.

Petrina Teo

Well Worth the Work

Petrina believes that NParks is instrumental in the endeavour to conserve biodiversity and raise awareness of the ongoing conservation efforts in Singapore. “NParks also seeks to be inclusive and engages with all communities, including members of the public, nature groups, academics, and other ministries, to enhance our local greenery and ecosystems,” she added.

To excel at the organisation, one needs an inquisitive mind and a passion to learn and serve the community, divulged Petrina.

In her opinion, the work put in is well worth it; “My time at NParks has helped broaden my scope of knowledge and inspired me to keep asking questions and seeking answers.”