Zoo Negara Zoo Negara news

Recently, I revisit National Zoo Malaysia to see for myself if there is any new addition to their animal family.

A huge Zoo with lots of animals! The Reptile and Amphibian House has been renovated and opened to public with lots of new animals. Other than that, the Zoo's aquarium is huge and has a large collection of marine animals and plants.

I captured lots of interesting photos and documented my travel on my photoblog/travelogue.

Feel free to visit my blog at:
mylo is mylife

Here are some photos I took recently at National Zoo Malaysia:

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cheers!
mylo

Feel free to visit my blog at:
mylo is mylife
 
Celebrate zoo’s 45th birthday
LET’S go to the zoo, there are lots of things to do. Remember this jingle from the famous fried chicken fast food advertisement not many years ago.

The fast-food outlet is no longer operating at Zoo Negara but you can still hear people singing the catchy tune when they set off for a visit to the national zoo in Hulu Kelang.

Tomorrow, which the first day of the year-end school holidays, is a good reason to take the children there as Zoo Negara is celebrating its 45th anniversary.

To commemorate and honour this iconic institution, Zoo Negara with the support of insurance firm, ING Insurance, is offering free entry to the first 4,500 children between the ages of three and 12.

Entry fees for adults remain the same.

Both ING and Zoo Negara have promised a day filled with plenty of educational and fun activities for the public from 10am onwards.

Zoo director Dr Mohamad Ngah said activities for both children and adults had been lined up for tomorrow.

“Children will have the opportunity to indulge in healthy outdoor activities.

“This special event is also to encourage the public to become more aware and better educated about zoology and wildlife conservation through exhibits and other educational materials,” he added.

Mohamad, who took over zoo’s helm two years ago, said he was giving himself another seven years to make the place a world-class zoo.

“My target is to bring Zoo Negara to world-class standards by 2015,’’ he said,

“Strategic steps which have been planned and implemented at the zoo have produced exciting results last year.

“We have been able to increase sales and reduce costs by 20%, resulting in three consecutive years of financial surplus.

“These steps include creating activities for children and adults, newly- acquired animals, new or modified exhibits, revised animal presentations and outreach education programmes,” he said.

One of the bold steps taken by Mohamad to create a new image for the zoo is the introduction of interactive wildlife enrichment programmes for visitors at various sections of the zoo.

These programmes have replaced the orang utan in the daily multi-animal presentations.

“These changes have tremendously increased the number of visitors to the zoo. Eight per cent of our profits are from the sale of tickets while seven per cent is from sponsorship.

“On an average we receive about one million visitors a year. This is the direction we are moving towards,’’ said Mohamad.

The zoo has also proposed to the federal government for a RM70mil allocation for refurbishment and rehabilitation programme under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

“We have championed 45 years of education and conservation of wildlife and research in zoology, biology and veterinary science.

“It has been a long and fruitful journey for us in the last 45 years,’’ said Mohamad.

Meanwhile, ING Insurance Berhad branding and corporate communications head Geraldine Wong said ING was proud to be associated with the zoo and being a willing partner in contributing towards this significant milestone.

“We believe in being part of your celebration and the ING Day is one of the ways in which we are giving back to the community,’’ said Wong.

She added that the ING Day held a week earlier at the zoo was a volunteer programme for employees to raise awareness of the importance of being responsible to the environment and protecting the natural habitat of animals.
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Zoo Negara to have more wildlife from Sabah
Malaysian Zoological Association president Datuk Ismail Hutson said efforts are being made to get animals from Sabah to be relocated at the zoo in Hulu Kelang.

“Preparations are underway to receive Borneo pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, orang utans and hornbills,” he said after witnessing the launch of the zoo’s rain harvesting system by Natural Resources and Environment Ministry deputy secretary-general Datuk Azmi Che Mat yesterday.

The harvested rain water process was carried out in collaboration with the Drainage and Irrigation Department.

It is an environmental friendly project which recycles rain water to be utilised for the zoo sewerage system and several pools for elephants, tigers and rhinoceros.
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It would be wonderful if they could get Proboscis Monkeys, maybe they could by time become as good with their breeding as their neighbour in Singapore. As to the pigmy elephants, I hope they'll get a better exhibit than what is being offered to the zoo's present elephants.
 
my thoughts on it are that although they may be getting these animals from Lok Kawi (which has bred a few elephants and proboscis monkeys), it seems far more likely that they are going to be being caught from the wild.
 
The State of Sabah is in a fierce battle with mainland Malaysia to stop the export of wildlife from Sabah alltogether. This was mainly to do with orang utans from a rehab center, but it now seems to take in this deal as well.

Personally, if well thought out and adequate facilities and good manpower capabilities are in place there is nothing wrong with an extension of several ex situ breeding programmes.
 
If the captive breeding of Proboscis Monkeys is to be sustained, there needs to be new bloodlines introduced. As successful as Singapore is at breeding these guys, if no other zoo achieves a similar level of success, it is ultimately a lost cause.

While as a rule I'm not in favour of taking animals from the wild, Proboscis Monkeys are a species which could be easily reintroduced if captive breeding works well, and the acquisition of new blood from wild populations is important.
 
Zooish, I tend to agree on this one. I would even advocate this for some of the rarer langur species of SE Asia. Interpretative board signs goes only so far to highlight attention. Nothing beats seeing red langur or banded leafs pro natura (either in situ or in a zoo environment).

I do hope that with the current increased level of attention to captive management in SE Asia, that SE primates including proboscis monkeys will feature more prominently in captivity and that an functioning ex situ breeding programme can be developped on the lines of the experiences at Singapore (and Surabaya zoos).
 
i hope that they wont import such beautiful animals to Zoo Negara from Sabah...Zoo negara should upgrade their present animal's welfares and facilities first...because alot of animals are dying there of poor maintenance...hope they can recover it and then they can import how many animals they want.....
 
National Zoo to Offer 'Night Vision Goggles' Visit , Malaysian Digest
To fulfill the wishes of wildlife enthusiasts who want to observe the night life of animals, the National Zoo (Zoo Negara) will soon offer the public the opportunity to view animals of the wild using night-vision goggles. Zoo Negara Director, Dr Mohamad Ngah said the move would make the national zoo one of the first in the world to offer visitors such a unique experience. He described the goggles as being shaped like binoculars, but with additional functions which allow zoo visitors to see clearly in darkness.

Night-vision goggles are usually used by military forces during special operations.

"I got the idea (of using goggles) from watching American war movies. These movies showed me how the goggles were used and I developed the idea of how to apply the gadget's use", said Dr Mohamad.

"The (night-vision) goggles allow visitors to move around in darkness and observe the antics of the wildlife at night without the need of light, as before", he recently told Bernama.

Furthermore, Dr Mohamad noted that using the goggles at the national zoo, which will be available starting from May, came from the interest expressed by wildlife enthusiasts who wished to observe zoo animals at night. He said a similar program was tried in 2003, but was scrapped after five years due to the high costs.

At that time, the night visit program was a 'temporary' fixture of the national zoo, when the program was staged to commemorate the zoo's 40th anniversary. However, due to the overwhelming public response the night visits were extended until 2007. Yet the lighting at Zoo Negara was not on par with the lighting system at the Taiping Zoo or Melaka Zoo, which was noted by many visitors.

"At that time, many visitors had complained that the zoo was too dark at night. Anyhow, the initial plan was to hold the night visits for only one month, as the cost was only RM30,000. That was the reason behind the limited lighting capacity, unlike the Taiping Zoo or Melaka Zoo", Dr Mohamad remarked.

"This was in contrast to Taiping Zoo or Melaka Zoo, where each allocated RM1 million for night visits", he said.

However, after many requests from the public for the night visits to be offered again, its director decided to seek a new approach, knowing that the zoo's lighting facilities are limited.

"We feel that there is no need to compete with other zoos. That is why we use the darkness as the zoo's strength under this new concept. The nightlife at the zoo would be like that in the jungles", he said.

For this 'night-vision goggles' concept, visitors would only be given torchlights, and some people, particularly those who bring their children along, might be concerned with their safety during the visit. Regarding safety, Dr Mohamad said detailed discussions and studies had been carried out to ensure that visitors remain safe. He said visitors would be split into groups of five or 10 each, and each group would be accompanied by a guide.

"The goggles would be with the guide. If given to all, it is feared that they may get carried away and fail to realize that they have lost their group.

"But no worries, the guide will allow all visitors to use the goggles to watch the activities of the wildlife at night", he said.

Unlike in the jungles of the National Park, the wildlife in Zoo Negara remain in their enclosures while visitors are free to move around without any fears or concerns.

Among wildlife enthusiasts, some may claim the degree of satisfaction that could be obtained in this 'night-vision goggles' program is less than what is experienced when spending the night in jungles. The fact is that the situation in Zoo Negara allows the best opportunity for visitors to achieve satisfaction which is on par with that in the National Park jungles. Yet the advantage is that they do not have to travel far and encounter dangers in order to observe the nightlife of wild animals.

Furthermore, visits to jungles have to be made over far distances and do not promise that wildlife would appear at night.

"Sometimes the jungle-goers come back empty-handed, as wildlife did not appear for the whole night.

"But via Zoo Negara's night-vision goggles program, visitors would be able to see the wildlife, including hearing their breathing at night", said Dr Mohamad.

Dr Mohamad said the charge for the visit is between RM150 and RM180 for a visitor, as it is in the form of a package where various activities are included in the program, including a barbecue.
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I particularly liked the line "many visitors had complained that the zoo was too dark at night" :D
 
I liked the "Unlike in the jungles of the National Park, the wildlife in Zoo Negara remain in their enclosures"
 
I enjoyed visiting Zoo Negara on my 27th birthday back in 2008 until 9 PM or so in the evening and guess I spent around 10 hours there in total. It is a massive zoo and you need a whole lot of time there. I needed all this time even if I skipped all the aviaries!
 
"But via Zoo Negara's night-vision goggles program, visitors would be able to see the wildlife, including hearing their breathing at night"

They must have some really advanced NVGs that amplify sounds as well! :D

Interesting concept I must say, but only if executed well using high-end NVGs.
 
Zoo Negara to be upgraded
Zoo Negara has announced plans to improve the enclosures for five groups of animals by the end of next year.

The announcement comes at a time when lots of questions are being asked about the standards of zoos in the country and the upkeep of animals.

The nearly 50-year-old zoo has received RM8.2mil from the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry (MNRE) to develop the new 15-acre enclosure.

Zoo director Dr Mohamad Ngah (pic) said the present man-made habitat for some animals was no longer conducive as the animals had multiplied over the years.

He said that the zoo had to comply with the latest enclosure guidelines set by the World Association of Zoos and Aquarium (Waza) and South-East Asian Zoo Association (Seaza) zoology experts.

“As a non-governmental organisation, we have enough funds to run our daily operations but we don't have the funds for upgrading work,” he said, adding that the zoo had been appealing for funds since 2006 but approval only came in March.

Dr Mohamad said the animals that will get new homes are the elephants, bears, Nile hippopotamus, chimpanzees and baboons.

The upgrading project, which begins next month, will attempt to recreate a natural environment for the animals.

“If the animals do not like you, they can hide.

“The zoo must provide sufficient bushes or places for them to shy away from humans when they are uncomfortable,” he said.

The zoo also plans to connect certain enclosures for some animals to interact with each other.

“There will be openings where the deers can wander into the elephants' zone and run back to their space if the elephants attack them,” he said.

When asked about recent issues relating to poor upkeep of zoos and animals, Dr Mohamad expressed disappointment in the management of certain zoos.

“I do not trust the operations at smaller zoos, which is why I only exchange Zoo Negara animals with other certified zoos like the Taiping Zoo and Malacca Zoo,” he said.

Zoo Negara, which is one of three Seaza-certified zoos in Malaysia, has been deemed world-class since 2007.

Dr Mohamad denied that animals there were under stress because they were breeding.

“I think we are the only local zoo where the animals are bred for conservation.

“Once they are adults, we release them into their natural habitat,” he said.

Due to the recent publicity on zoo conditions, visitors at Zoo Negara yesterday made a few complaints.

First-time visitors Billy Tan and Kelly Ho, both 23, were appalled by the restrictive compound the animals were housed in.

“The elephants and giraffes look as though they don't have enough room to move around in,” said Ho.

The couple were also not impressed with the zoo upkeep and said more could be done to make it more pleasant to both wildlife and visitors.

Ahmad Tasyrif, 19, a student from Johor, noticed the dismal condition but wondered if it was meant to suit the wildlife.

“I am not sure if they made the place to be like the natural habitat of these creatures. But I think some of the reptiles seem unhealthy.”

Jordanian tourist Rima Jalled, 26, said the animals seemed to be too far away for her to take pictures.
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Yes, Chlidonias ... it is more or less a question of funding for government administered zoos in S.E. Asia (as we should all acknowledge). I reiterate that if some of these zoos would have a similar funding base as say Cleveland Zoo (which personally I am very appreciative of ...) animal welfare or zoo management/keeping conditions would not even begin to be an issue.

I am happy to see these major changes at Zoo Negara. And to underline they do not have egg on their face .... indeed the issue should be with roadside zoos (Zoo Negara only exchanges with accredited zoos like Zoo Melakka) and a better funding base from government. :cool:
 
Zoo delivers storks
17 June 2011

The rehabilitation efforts of Zoo Negara in breeding the Milky Stork has proven to be a success with over 200 birds now released into the wilds of Malaysia where only 10 were known to have been alive before.

Tan Chong Group comprising Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhad, Warisan TC Holdings Berhad and APM Automotive Holdings Berhad has decided to support Zoo Negara’s efforts by contributing one Nissan Urvan and Nissan Frontier 4x4.

By way of this contribution, Tan Chong has also officially adopted the Milky Stork.

The Group believes Zoo Negara’s efforts has proven that its captive breeding programme is effective in rehabilitating a near-extinct bird species.

A handover ceremony of the two Nissan vehicles was made at the Dataran Datuk Ismail Hutson located within the zoo’s compound.

Tan Chong Group was represented by its group senior adviser Datuk Cheah Sam Kip, while Zoo Negara by its director Dr Mohamad Ngah.

“We are indeed proud to be associated with efforts of the Zoo in protecting the Milky Stork and to ensure its continued survival for future generations to enjoy. This does prove that efforts can be made to reverse the damage mankind had caused leading to the near-extinction of the Milky Stork,” said Cheah during the handover ceremony.

“The stork (pronounced as “guan” in Chinese) and crane (pronounced as “he” in Chinese) are very similar. For the Chinese community, the crane symbolises longevity and with the Tan Chong Group having been established for more than 50 years in Malaysia, we look forward to another 50 years of longevity to come,” he added.

Tan Chong also feted some 20 children of single parents from the SJK (C) Sungai Chua, Kajang to a day at the zoo. The school is one of two schools presently sponsored by Tan Chong Group as part of its CSR Programme.
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http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/8/22/nation/11892545&sec=nation
there's a short video on the link as well.
22 August 2012

It was a joyous Hari Raya at Zoo Negara with the birth of a healthy and “bouncy” hippopotamus.

The calf, the offspring of 21-year-old Kibu and 31-year-old Duke, was born on Sunday, the first day of Syawal, at 4am.

“We were expecting the birth two or three days before or after Hari Raya,” said zookeeper Mohd Khairul Azahar.

He arrived for work as usual on Hari Raya and had just finished feeding the birds when he heard noises from the hippo enclosure.

“I went to check and to my surprise, there was a baby hippo there,” the happy zookeeper said.

“It was an added treat for visitors who came this Hari Raya.”

Khairul said that with the latest addition, Zoo Negara now had six Nile hippotammi three female and two male.

The gender of the newborn hippo, he said, could only be determined when the water-dwelling animal surfaced on land and its umbilical cord fell off.

He said Zoo Negara's hippo breeding programme was going well, with four births so far.

As for the name of the baby hippo, Khairul said it would be determined by the zoo or anyone wanting to sponsor it.

“Personally, I would like to name it Syawal if it is a male, or Salwa if female,” he said.
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