Lok Kawi Wildlife Park New zoo proposal may see Lok Kawi relocated

[Chlidonias]

There has been a proposal (last year) to create a new wildlife park at Sugud and relocate the animals from Lok Kawi to the new site. In one of the articles I found from this year, it is said that of the Lok Kawi site only 70 acres is used for the zoo (the rest is left as forest and a botanical garden) whereas the new site is 2000 acres.

A couple of news articles from July 2016 for background:
Wildlife park proposed in Penampang
New Zoo is planned for Sabah. Should we be Happy? (response article to the above)

A couple of articles from July this year (2017):
Proposed Relocation Of Lok Kawi Wildlife Park To Sugud, Penampang

Wildlife park may move to Sugud (the most relevent text below - go to the link for the full article)

The Lok Kawi Wildlife Park will probably be shifted to Sugud in Penampang, but the proposed move is subject to the approval of the district office and feedback from the surrounding communities as well as allocation from the government, said Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) director Augustine Tuuga yesterday.

He cited the limited space at the park’s present site as the main reason for shifting, saying that although the Lok Kawi site covers an area of 280 acres, only 70 acres were utilised as the remaining were hilly terrains which also served as water catchment areas for the surrounding communities. The area in Sugud is about 2,000 acres.

A meeting had been held and that the proposal to shift the wildlife park came about two years ago, Augustine told reporters during a tour of the wildlife park yesterday following negative feedback concerning the condition of the animals and birds at the wildlife park.


Also of note from that last article is this line, which is the first news I've heard that their Bornean Clouded Leopard has died:

With regard to the death of a clouded leopard, Dr Rosa explained that “Ruby” had a heart and late stage kidney problem.


She said that during a post-mortem, her kidney was already liquified.

 

[zooboy28]

Experts to help improve some of the conditions (especially of large mammals: elephants, orangs, sun bears) at Lok Kawi Wildlife Park. Nothing on relocating the park.

For more see: US animal experts to help improve poor conditions at Sabah zoo - Nation | The Star Online

KOTA KINABALU: International animal care specialists will be in Sabah to assist Lok Kawi Wildlife Park amid simmering complaints by animal rights groups on the poor upkeep of its animals.

The Sabah Wildlife Department is working with APE Malaysia on immediate steps and long-term plans for the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park with animal upkeep specialists from the Association of American Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) who are coming here on Monday (Oct 29).

The team of eight specialists, including zookeepers, educators and a zoo director, will provide expertise to upgrade enclosures and welfare standards for the animals.

The Sabah Wildlife Department officer in charge of the wildlife park, Nurain Acheh, said the new management put in efforts to improve zoo conditions after concerns raised by NGOs in June this year.

That was when it was reported an adolescent elephant rescued 13 years ago from an oil palm plantation had died on June 27, while a four-year-old calf is believed to have died on May 7.

"Since the new management started, we have engaged with parties who have given recommendations on the right steps to take.

"APE Malaysia is the first to work with us on enrichment. It will take several years to make all the recommended changes but we are positive that things can only get better."

Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Yuuga said that animal welfare was given top priority at the wildlife park.

Based on requirements for upgrading done by an external audit recently, he said APE Malaysia would list a few upgrading items to the orang-utan enclosure.

"These include adding climbing ropes and new hammocks as well as several enrichment items for orang-utans, sun bears and elephants," he added.

APE Malaysia project director Mazrul Mahadzir said "only a few things" could be achieved in the two-day trip by the American experts.

But discussions were on-going for a "long term plan" to improve animal welfare with the Lok Kawi wildlife park management, he added.

APE Malaysia has worked with Zoo Negara (near Kuala Lumpur), Taiping Zoo & Night Safari, Melaka Zoo & Night Safari, Matang Wildlife Centre (in Perak) and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (Sandakan) over the years.

Wild Welfare, a UK-based animal welfare charity, also came earlier in October to share their expertise after being invited by the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park management.

They did a three-day audit on the zoo and found "several areas of concern".

“We discovered a number of areas where there are concerns, in particular the current controlling methods used to to manage their elephants,” said Wildlife Welfare field director Dave Morgan on Oct 16.

Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew said on Oct 27 that the Sabah Wildlife Department has to "act immediately" on Wildlife Welfare's recommendations for improvements at the zoo.

Liew, who is state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, said, “Wild Welfare presented its findings to the ministry. We acknowledge that there are indeed several animal welfare issues that need to be resolved at the park."