Source : Daily Express, Sabah, 22 Feb '05
By : Daily Express
  

The first level of zoological development works at the 280-acre park, costing about RM23.5 million and for which construction begun in 1998, is already about 80 per cent complete and is expected to meet full completion in another one or two months.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin, who is Petagas Assemblyman, said all the basic infrastructures were already completed and the park is now only waiting for some of the animals, especially the imported exotic ones, to come in stages.

At the same time, development works at a botanical garden located in the inner end of the park, which will offer various types of jungle trees, wild plants, herbs and flowers endemic to the State and country, are still on-going.

"Once all the infrastructures and animals at the zoo are ready, we will do a soft opening for the park. I was impressed with what I have seen during our tour and I am confident that the park is going to become another important landmark for tourism in the State," he said.

Among facilities under the first level zoological development project are the administration building, visitor centre, parking lots, staff quarters, children zoo, jungle world, exhibit enclosures each for parrots and macaws, rhinos, elephants, tigers, gibbons, orang utan, ostriches, kangaroos, camels, wild cattle as well as giraffes and zebras.

"The first level of zoological development works has taken a long time to complete because we just didn't want to rush into itÉthere is no other problem," he told a media conference held after checking on the progress of the park, Monday.

Yahya, who is also Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister, was accompanied by Tourism, Culture and Environment Assistant Minister Datuk Karim Bujang, Community Development and Consumer Affairs Political Secretary Abdul Kahar Mohd Zain, Putatan Sub-district's Assistant Officer Ag Abdul Ghani Pg Yusof, State Wildlife Director Patrick Andau, his deputy Laurentius Nayan Ambu and the park manager, Dr Senthivel, among others.

Meanwhile, Karim said the exotic animals would be brought into the State for keeping at the park's zoological section under an animal exchange programme with other zoo operators throughout the world.

"We are a member of the Southeast Asia Zoological Association and this enables us to have an animal exchange programme with the other members," he said, adding that trading of animals is prohibited throughout the world.

But still the first thing is to bring in those animals endemic to Malaysia before foreign exotic animals are imported from the other countries, he said. Most of the exotic animals we would be importing are birds, besides others like giraffes, kangaroos and bears.

For the botanical garden, Karim said the Forestry Department, which is responsible for implementing its development works, will concentrate on herb collections and other plant species especially those endemic to the State.

"In general, the park will not only exhibit animals and plants but also serve as a place for research and recreational purposesÉthis is the difference between the park and other zoos, which mostly have limited exhibits and animals are all kept in cages," he said.

Asked what will happen to those mini zoos operating in and around the West Coast upon the opening of the park, Karim said there are two to three mini zoos allowed to operate due to there being no zoo in Sabah.

"It is up to these legal mini zoo operators whether to continue with their operation, as we will not stop them.

"But if any of them feels it is too expensive for them to maintain their mini zoo operations, probably they can surrender the animals in their keeping to the park and we can cooperate," he said, adding that all this while the mini zoos had been operating with assistance and monitoring from the Wildlife Department.

When asked, Laurentius said the department is now negotiating with other zoo operators in and outside the country like Zoo Negara and those in Taiping, Malacca and Singapore, among others, to get animals from them.

"These animals will be brought into Sabah and quarantined for six months and only after that, we can let them out of their respective enclosures for public viewing," he said.

According to him, about 80 per cent of the animals to be kept at the park will be of local species while the remaining 20 per cent will be imported from other countries.

The park, when in operation later, will charge adult visitors RM10 each and RM5 per child.

Laurentius said the department is also now doing a trial run on the process of park management. "There are about 30 senior department staff working at the park and we have asked for additional manpower, which the Government has been willing to consider.

"The park will be fully managed by locals, if there are foreigners, they will be only working as trainers. We have also sent a few of our staff to undergo related training at the zoos in Singapore, Taiping and others," he said.

On the second level of the zoological development project, he said the department is still in the process of estimating the cost needed for its implementation.

The second level of development would also concentrate on constructing the enclosures for other animals like for the Proboscis monkey and other related facilities in the inner part of the park, he added.