Saleng Zoo closed down

[Chlidonias]

a bit of a weird occurrence in the way it seems to have been carried out, but here are the news articles:
Officials remove 60 animals from Saleng Zoo

21 June 2011

The animals at the Saleng Zoo have finally been “set free”, with the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) spearheading the rescue mission.

Armed with tranquilliser guns, metal cutters and blowtorches, a huge team of officials raided the zoo in an operation that began at 10am.

The entire exercise to remove the animals, said to number about 60, is expected to last at least a week.

The raid, the first in the country since the new Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 was enforced last December, culminated in the seizure of dozens of protected animals which included bears, tigers, lions, snakes, monkeys, porcupines, crocodiles, birds and ostriches. The zoo has about 40 species of animals.

Starprobe had exposed the situation at several zoos last month where animals were being kept in atrocious and pitiful conditions that went against international and local zoo guidelines.

Saleng Zoo was one of the zoos named. Its animal trainer and zookeeper J. Sivapriyan offered no resistance as the operation got underway yesterday.

The officers used blowtorches and metal cutters to cut through cages to remove the animals while tranquillisers were used to sedate the larger wild animals.

Department deputy director-general Dr Zaaba Zainal Abidin, who led the raid with about 80 personnel, said the animals were being taken to Malacca Zoo and Paya Indah Wetlands.

He said that the zoo needed to have special permits to keep the animals and hold licenced species.

“Both these permits were not renewed,” he said.

Johor Perhilitan director Saharudin Anan, who also joined the operation, said the department had received many complaints against the zoo.

Sivapriyan said he was disappointed with the department's actions.

“Until now, they have refused to tell me what we have done wrong and how we can change.

“We have invested so much and my animals are breeding,” he said, adding that the lions had given birth to four cubs while the tigers had two cubs several days ago.

Sivapriyan also hit out at NGOs which he said were making baseless accusations to gain popularity.

“I have even tried to meet with the minister (Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas) but he keeps avoiding me,” he said, adding that he has about 300 signatures in support of the zoo.

He said the zoo was set up in 2001 on a 8ha site with an initial investment of about RM3mil.

 

[Chlidonias]

Zoo raid shocks visitors

22 June 2011

Tourists visiting the Saleng Zoo here were shocked to find officers from the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) raiding the premises.

Singaporean businessman Terrence Wong, 45, who was with his family, said he had been to the zoo before.

“I thought that it looked quite well-maintained,” he said, adding that the animals appeared to be active and healthy although their enclosures were slightly small.

Indonesian Ronny Lie, 30, said he and his family had been looking forward to visiting the zoo as it was more convenient than travelling to the Malacca Zoo.

Frequent visitor Monaliza Mat Tahir, 33, said she was saddened by the officers' actions as she often came to feed the animals.

“I am very attached to the animals,” she said, adding that she hoped the authorities would reconsider their decision.

Another visitor V.S. Kumar, 56, questioned if the department could ensure that the animals would be well-treated during their transportation.

“What if the animals get hurt or die on the journey? Who will be responsible then?” he asked.

Yesterday's operation marked the second day of the department's seizure of the animals which is expected to last a week.

Johor Perhilitan director Saharudin Anan said the operation, which began on Monday, had been smooth.

“We have a veterinarian here at all times, who will tend to the animals and even accompany them during transport to their designated rescue centres in Malacca Zoo and Paya Indah Wetlands,” he said.

He added that animals seized yesterday included tigers, snakes, crocodiles, ostriches, wild boars and porcupines.

Saleng Zoo owner Chai Sit Yee said he had not received a reply to his appeal against the department's decision not to renew its operating permit.

“It is not that we are not willing to make improvements as suggested by the department such as expanding the animal enclosures and hiring more vets and staff.

“We just need a bit more time,” he said.

Senai assemblyman Ong Kow Meng, who visited the zoo yesterday, described the department's actions as “gross abuse of power”, adding that it was not proven that the zoo had violated the Wildlife Conservation Act.

Ong said he would help the zoo owners appeal and return the animals back to Saleng Zoo.

The Saleng Zoo has been operating since 1996 and, according to zookeeper J. Sivapriyan, hosts more than 2000 animals of 60 different species.

 

[Chlidonias]

Malaysia rescues big cats from 'filthy zoo' - Yahoo! News

21 June 2011

Malaysian wildlife officials rescued 32 tigers and a number of lions, along with other animals, from what they called on Tuesday a dirty and cramped private zoo.

Zaaba Zainol Abidin, deputy director general of the wildlife and national parks department, said the animals, including 32 hybrid Siberian-Bengal tigers, were kept at the Saleng Zoo in southern Johor state in filthy conditions.

"The design is bad. The water wasn't being changed, and it's so dirty. Even the droppings they didn't clean," he told AFP.

The rescued animals are being transferred to a public zoo in Malacca and a wetland reserve in central Selangor state over several days, he said.

He put the number of lions at eight or nine, and said crocodiles, bears and a black panther were also rescued after wildlife authorities refused to renew the zoo's permits to keep the mostly endangered animals.

Zaaba said that the zoo had abused its permit in the past by purchasing an endangered tapir, a large forest-dwelling herbivorous mammal, from locals.

Saleng zookeeper J. Sivapriyan said he opposed the seizure of the animals, adding that the enclosure for the animals was being enlarged.

"I take care of the tigers, which are like my children," he told AFP. "I don't abuse the animals."

Malaysia has pledged to better protect animals from abuse and illegal trade.

A new wildlife law, which came into effect late last year, also aims to tighten control on zoos and circuses.

Last year, Malaysia jailed Anson Wong, a rogue wildlife trader described as one of the world's most-wanted wildlife traffickers, for five years.

 

[Chlidonias]

Saleng crocs settling down well at wetlands

22 June 2011

Five crocodiles have been relocated to the Paya Indah Wetlands, near here, from Johor's Saleng Zoo.

An assistant wildlife officer at Paya Indah said the crocodiles were adapting well to their new home and did not show signs of stress after they were moved there on Monday night.

A visit by The Star yesterday revealed the reptiles have joined 17 other crocodiles in a pond as big as two Olympic-sized swimming pools.

“It took about two hours to release the crocodiles into the pond, starting at 10pm on Monday.

“The new arrivals swam freely and did not show signs of aggression towards the original occupants of the pond which is a good sign,” said the Perhilitan officer, who declined to be named.

He added that the crocodiles were released at night as the cooler temperature was less stressful to both the animals.

Apart from the spacious pond where the crocodiles have made their home, the Perhilitan-run wetlands appeared to be in dire need of green upkeeping.

Once touted as a potential eco-tourism park covering about 3,100ha, the park holds only a handful species of animals, including three hippopotamus from Botswana and five Malayan porcupines.

Dried vegetation line the landscape, barely providing shelter for picnickers or joggers.

Entrance is free but visitors are required to sign a guestbook and a declaration of indemnity before entering.

First opened to the public in 1997, the park was rejuvenated with a RM10mil allocation which led to its reopening on Oct 20, 2008.

However, a quick browse through the guest book saw only two names slightly after noon yesterday, while about 50 names were signed last Sunday.

 

[Chlidonias]

Zoo raid was lawful

5 July 2011

THE Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) had the right to raid Saleng Zoo without a warrant or court order under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716).

State International Trade and Industry, Energy, Water, Communications and Environment committee chairman Tan Kok Hong explained that this was provided under Section 95 of the Act.

He said the zoo owner’s application to renew its licence on April 22 last year had been rejected by Perhilitan’s director-general based on Section 14(1) Grant of Licence and Section 12(3) Application for Licence under the Act.

“The owner’s appeal to the relevant ministry was also rejected and the department was ordered to take immediate action under Section 110(1) of the same Act,” he said in his winding-up speech at the Johor state assembly sitting here at Kota Iskandar.

Tan added that the Act allowed the department to seize the animals in the zoo after the zoo’s application was rejected and that the animals seized would become the property of the Government under Section 111 of the Act.

He pointed out that the department had recorded numerous offences committed by the owner, including illegall possession of wildlife.

“The zoo has been previously fined by the court while some of its other offences are still being investigated by the department,” he said.

It was previously reported that Perhilitan had confiscated over 70 animals from the zoo on June 20 following complaints from the public on the mistreatment of animals and the lack of cleanliness.

The Starprobe team had also exposed the situation at several zoos including the Saleng Zoo in May, highlighting their poor condition.