‘Sue Melaka Zoo for animal abuse’
The government should send zoo staff to Singapore for training
KUALA
LUMPUR: A UK-based NGO wants the Melaka Zoo management persecuted and
their staff sent for training on animal welfare to the Singapore Zoo.Nature Alert chief executive officer Sean Whyte said the Orang Utan was an acknowledged endangered species protected under Malaysian Law.
“The Melaka Zoo management must be prosecuted for this cruelty. It’s no use the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) sitting in their cosy air-conditioned offices with their eyes wide shut.
“They are paid to enforce the law, but as we know, they only do so when stung into action by public criticism. What’s the point of the new law if they won’t enforce it?” asked Whyte.
Whyte was responding to investigations by animal activist Shivan Lucian from Friends of the Orang Utan.
According to Lucian the situation in Melaka Zoo had deteriorated since four months ago when he last visited the site.
Lucian said his most recent visit this month to the zoo almost left him in tears.
“I felt like crying when I saw these orangutans caged like this. I’ve asked myself, why is it my country allows such cruelty to continue?
“If anything, things have got worse at this zoo since our last report to Perhilitan.
“What we see here is cruelty, against our law and it must be punished,” he said recounting his shock at seeing the eight orang utan held captive in tiny dirty cages where they could barely move.
Poor supervision
He said there was “not a single leaf” for enrichment of their environment.
“Malaysia’s only great ape, a protected species deserving of an iconic status in Malaysia, are treated like rats,” said Lucian.
Lucian said supervision of animals was also sorely lacking, as those Orangutans on display were being thrown junk food while security just looked and ignored.
He said the one male Orang Utan was clearly showing sign of distress.
“One huge Orangutan male who looked very strong but was obviously stressed and was showing signs of agression.
“When we neared, the Orangutan held on to the bars and was shaking it violently. It is scary, it tried to grab at us fiercely.
“These are the results of how the Melaka Zoo treated him. Soon, like humans, he would go crazy,” said Lucian.
Reports ignored
Whyte said it was urgent that authorities act swiftly and resolve the desperate conditions imposed on the orangutans.
He asked how much worse should the situation regress at the Melaka Zoo before the government takes action against them.
“How long will it take? Days, weeks or more likely – never?” quippd Whyte.
He said Nature Alert had made several reports to Perhilitan against the Melaka Zoo.
“But all the reports have been ignored, ” he said.
He said the Melaka Zoo had also been “sharply criticised by others” for the extremely cramped conditions in its quarantine area.
“Animals are brought into this centre from closed down zoos, never again to be seen.
“Where are these animals now? What happened to all those tigers from Saleng Zoo?” asked Whyte.
Six point demand
Whyte recalled that earlier this year, the Melaka Zoo was given four orangutans which were seized from the A’Famosa Resort.
The Orang Utans were very badly treated for 12 months at the resort but but things were no better in Melaka Zoo.
Nature Alert issued a six-point list asking the authorities to immediately:
1. Prosecute Melaka zoo authorities.
2. Return four Orangutans originally from A’Famosa to the Sarawak orangutan sanctuary, and not back to the resort.
3. The remaining Orangutans be given access to the outside area of the enclosure on a twice daily rotational basis
4. The adult male Orangutan which is likely incarcerated 24/7, must be also be given access in front
5. New enclosures and night shelters must be built
6. Management and staff of Malacca be sent to Singapore zoo for training.
No response
Meanwhile several attempts by FMT to contact Malacca Zoo director Ahmad Azhar Mohammed, Perhilitan and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment officials received no responses.
A top officer in Perhilitan told FMT that the wildlife authority no longer has the authority to speak to the media.“To be honest our public image has suffered tremendoesly lately, and the ministry has decided that all our communication with the public has to be filtered,” said the official.
Since 2003, there had been at least seven cases of zoo mismanagement in the country, resulting in the seizure of animals from several zoos.
Melaka Zoo is not new to controversy with several reports in the past over animal abuse.
Just last Friday, Melaka Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam aknowledged the need for better enclosures.
He said the state government had so far received over 3,000 complaints, including e-mails from animal lovers overseas, that the orang utan enclosures were too small.
“We realise this and have decided that we need five more enclosures,” he said.
One “chain-smoking” Orangutan, Shirley, also made international headlines in May after visitors who threw cigarrette butts abetted her habit. She was now being rehabilitated in Sarawak.
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