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| Government should come to Zoo Negara’s aid, says MNS | |
| PETALING JAYA: Zoo Negara has done
a great job in educating Malaysians about animals and the Government
should come to its aid to ensure that it remains in its current location,
said the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS).
“The first time most people learn about protecting animals is through the zoo,” the society's executive director Dr Loh Chi Leong said in an interview here yesterday. “This fulfils the zoo’s objective of educating the public about animals,” he added. Dr Loh noted that the zoo was located in a place which was easily accessible to the public, adding that the area also served as a green lung. However, he said that in order to improve, the zoo should enhance its captive breeding programme and introduce the open enclosure concept like that at the Taiping Zoo. World Wildlife Fund national programme director Dr Dionysius Sharma also urged the Government to provide financial aid to the zoo. He added: “The Government should also stop further development in the vicinity of Zoo Negara.” He agreed with Dr Loh that Zoo Negara should not be relocated, adding that in order for the people to learn about conservation and animals, the zoo had to be in an area which was easily accessible. Dr Dionysius called on the Government to continue supporting the Malaysian Zoological Society and focus on conservation, education, training of veterinary students and research. This, he said, would lead to a marketable product for the country's tourism industry. “The society is run by a capable group who have the right ideas on how to move forward and make Zoo Negara something all Malaysians can be proud of. They just need help.” Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM), on the other hand, has called for a rethink in whether there is actually a need for zoos. SAM president S.M. Mohd Idris said it was unfortunate that Zoo Negara was plagued with problems, adding that SAM had never liked the idea of setting up zoos, aquaria, bird parks and other animal sanctuaries. “After a survey conducted by the SAM, we concluded that such establishments cause nothing more than suffering for the animals and they exist only to earn money from sponsors and gate collections,” he said in a statement yesterday. Idris also questioned the need for night safaris, saying that this defeated the purpose of wildlife conservation as animals were removed from their natural habitat. “We are totally opposed to zoos that do not fulfil the three main objectives of conservation, research and education,” he added. |
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COPYRIGHT © STAR PUBLICATIONS (MALAYSIA) BERHAD. ARTICLE REPRODUCED HERE FOR THE PURPOSE OF NATURE CONSERVATION AND EDUCATION |