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Bernard Harrison (zoologist)

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Zoologist based in Singapore

Bernard Harrison
BornBernard Ming-Deh Harrison
1951 (age 72–73)
Malaysia
Alma materUniversity of Manchester
OccupationZoologist
Years active1981–present
Children2
Parents

Bernard Ming-Deh Harrison (born 1951) is a zoologist who was the executive director of the Singapore Zoo from 1981 to 2002.

Early life

Harrison was born in Malaysia. His father, John Leonard Harrison, was a retired major in the British army and a zoologist who specialised in rodent-borne diseases. His mother, Song Kiew Ying, was a former nurse. The junior Harrison studied zoology and psychology at the University of Manchester, and returned to Singapore in 1973 to work as a curator of zoology at the Singapore Zoological Gardens.

Career

Harrison became the executive director of the Singapore Zoo in 1981. In 1994, he founded the Night Safari—the first of its kind. On 2 July 2002, he announced his resignation, and was succeeded by Singapore Tourism Board marketing director Asad Shiraz. During Harrison's tenure, the Singapore Zoo saw record-breaking attendance; according to the BBC, it became "one of the most successful in Asia with its open concept of animal display." In an interview with The Straits Times, he described the last couple of years at the zoo as "pretty bloody boring". The Straits Times writer Yong Hui Mien described Harrison as "Singapore's Doctor Dolittle", although the zoo's celebrity orangutan Ah Meng reportedly disliked him.

Harrison opined that a majority of zoos worldwide were mismanaged: "If I could, I would shut down 90% of the 10,000 zoos in the world. The world is full of horrible stink holes that call themselves zoos." A biography of Harrison, written by Singapore Management University English literature professor Kirpal Singh and titled Naked Ape, Naked Boss, was published in 2014.

Personal life

In his thirties, Harrison wrote a novel titled Malacca And Beyond (Media Masters), as well as an unpublished poetry anthology whose working title was No Leaf Unturned. In 1997, Harrison separated from his second wife, landscape gardener Nazli; he attributed the failure of their ten-year marriage to his working long hours at the zoo. In 2002, he married former corporate trainer Tina Lim, with whom he established the zoo design consultancy Bernard Harrison & Friends. Harrison has two children, both from his second marriage.

References

  1. "Nature Reserves Board gets new chairman". The Straits Times. 8 September 1983. p. 16. Mr Bernard Ming-Deh Harrison, director of the Singapore Zoological Gardens.
  2. "Profile of Mr. Bernard Harrison, Chief Executive Officer of Singapore Zoological Gardens". National Library Board. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  3. Lee, Siew Hua; Lim, Phay-Ling (25 January 1987). "Bounding in with tales to tell". The Straits Times. p. 1.
  4. ^ Nanda, Akshita (13 April 2014). "No holds barred memoir". AsiaOne.
  5. Wong, Li Za (4 April 2014). "Wildlife expert offers tips on ecotourism". The Star.
  6. Ee, David (9 April 2014). "Night Safari founder Bernard Harrison suggests 'un-zoo' as unique attraction". The Straits Times.
  7. "Zoo man leaves". The New Paper. 3 July 2002. p. 6.
  8. "Zoo chief resigns". The New Paper. 6 December 2003. p. 27.
  9. ^ Kevin Voigt (23 July 2004). "The Work-Life Juggling Act". The Wall Street Journal.
  10. "Bernard Harrison: I love the zoo concept". BBC News. 24 August 2012.
  11. Tan, Wendy (22 October 2002). "Bernard Harrison's bohemian rhapsody". The Straits Times. p. 2. His last two years as the chief executive officer of Wildlife Reserves were, in his own words, 'pretty bloody boring'.
  12. Yong, Hui Mien (3 July 2002). "Zoo chief set to leave Mandai's animal kingdom". The Straits Times. p. 16.
  13. Sim, Albert (15 April 2001). "Prime". The Straits Times. p. 2. Ah Meng and park chief Bernard Harrison are not friends. When she sees him, she turns away, and the hairs on her shoulders stand, indicating she is angry.
  14. Pierce, Jessica; Bekoff, Marc (2018). "A Postzoo Future: Why Welfare Fails Animals in Zoos". Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science. 21 (sup1): 45. doi:10.1080/10888705.2018.1513838. PMID 30325228. S2CID 53502236.
  15. Tang, Wai Yin (2 November 1991). "What is sexy about him". The New Paper. p. 7. Mrs Nazli Harrison, 40, landscape designer ... wife of 29-year-old zoo director Bernard Harrison...
  16. Martin, Mayo (6 January 2016). "All in the family: Sharda Harrison's animal tales". Today.

Further reading

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