Huggan, G and Perks, SA (2022) The Gospel According to Ah Meng: Conservation, Celebrity, and the Singapore Story. Society and Animals. ISSN 1063-1119
Abstract
This essay reflects on the story of probably the world’s most famous captive orangutan, Ah Meng, who died in 2008 but has since been “replaced” by her granddaughter, Ishta, who took over as the “new face” of Singapore Zoo in 2016. Ah Meng’s story is interesting for what it conceals and what it reveals, including the recent history of wildlife trafficking in Southeast Asia, for which Singapore – despite its conservationist credentials – acts as an important hub. Ah Meng’s rescue and rehabilitation also raises interesting questions about the Singapore Story, the popular name given to the heroic narrative of historical survival and economic development associated with Singapore’s ruling party, the PAP (People’s Action Party), and especially its former leader, Lee Kuan Yew. This essay considers the extent to which Ah Meng is more than just a national ambassador animal or a global conservation icon, but is also a multifaceted figure for Singapore’s progress in an unevenly developed capitalist world order in which it insists on playing a leading part.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © Graham Huggan and Samuel Perks, 2022.This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license |
Keywords: | Ah Meng; orangutans; conservation; celebrity; unevenness; Singapore |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures (Leeds) > School of English (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 19 Oct 2020 11:19 |
Last Modified: | 26 Jul 2022 05:50 |
Status: | Published online |
Publisher: | Brill |
Identification Number: | 10.1163/15685306-bja10078 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:166753 |