Zoos need monitoring

November 19, 2003

=nation

Wednesday November 19, 2003

BY JANE RITIKOS AND IZATUN SHARI

PETALING JAYA: Zoos should come under the supervision of an enforcing body

to ensure animals kept there are protected, consumer advocate Prof Datuk

Hamdan Adnan said.

He said that presently, there was no enforcing body that monitored zoos

although it was the Science, Technology and Environment Ministry (MOSTE)

that issued permits to zoos to procure animals.

He said the ministry had issued a guideline for zoo operators but it was

only an administrative one that regulated standards and practices on

infrastructure requirements, animal welfare and safety, zoo management and

record of animals.

Hamdan, who is also Love Your Pets Society president, said the ministry

should set up a committee to oversee all zoos.

“As the body that issues the permit, the ministry should also be responsible

for monitoring the zoos. The guideline should also be enforceable and there

is no point if it is just administrative,” he said, adding that there was an

urgent need to address this weakness.

Hamdan cited as an example Zoo Negara. It was run by the Malaysian

Zoological Society and registered with the Home Ministry, but obtained its

permits from the MOSTE.

“The MOSTE is very strict in giving permits to mini-zoos or private zoos but

being strict is one thing. They must also monitor what happens after the

permit is given,” he said.

Commenting on reports that some 540 or 20% of the animals kept in Zoo Negara

died in the two-year period in 2001 and 2002, Hamdan said it was easy to

assume they died due to bad management.

“Zoo Negara has kept the animals well but a lot of things could lead to

their deaths, particularly species that are vulnerable to climate changes,”

he said.

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