FWD: Tiger sharks for Aquaria KLCC to arrive Saturday

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This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my)

URL:

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/5/28/nation/11073325 & sec=nation

 

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Saturday May 28, 2005

Tiger sharks for Aquaria KLCC to arrive Saturday

<b>Story and picture by T. SELVA</b>

 

JOHANNESBURG: Five sand tiger sharks are flying in today to become part of the

exhibits at the Aquaria KLCC, which is due to open on June 15.

 

The sharks measuring 1.6m to 2.5m from the world’s largest shark aquarium in

Jeffreys Bay, near here, will be arriving in Malaysia via MASkargo.

 

They were caught off South African waters in March and kept in huge circular

tanks and treated for parasites.

 

Yesterday, the sharks were placed in crates filled with seawater and taken to

Port Elizabeth airport where they were put on a freighter to here before being

moved to a Malaysia Airlines B747-400 aircraft.

 

 

 

The five-hour operation to pack and transport the sharks was witnessed by

MASkargo senior manager (cargo and corporate affairs) Rosli Md Yassin and a

group of Malaysian journalists.

 

Aquatic consultant Fred Fan said the sharks had not been fed for the past 10

days as part of the preparation to fly them to Kuala Lumpur.

 

He said the sharks were strong and could go without food for as long as 60

days. They were also not sedated because they were not aggressive and could

handle the air passage.

 

“We have requested MAS to maintain a temperature of between 16°C and 18°C in

the cargo compartment.

 

“The four smaller sharks are placed in a circular crate so that they can swim

around while the 2.5m shark is placed in an oblong crate to keep it immobile,”

said Fan, a shark expert who flew in from Hong Kong for the shipment.

 

Rosli said MASkargo had been “air freighting sharks, rhinoceroses, cheetahs,

goats, antelope, lobsters and marine perishables to Hong Kong, Beijing and Tokyo

without any mortality since 1997.”

 

“The special animal hotel at KLIA gave us the edge over other airlines because

we have an excellent facility for animals transiting in Kuala Lumpur,” he said.

 

He disclosed that next month MAS would be transporting Spotted Eagle Rays from

Sri Lanka, bound for Aquaria’s 90m underwater tunnel.

 

The RM60mil Aquaria KLCC will feature 5,000 aquatic and land animals

representing 150 different species.

 

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