THIRTY orphans from a welfare orga-nisation in Bukit Gantang, near Taiping were treated to an outing at Taiping Zoo recently.
The visit was thanks to Petronas pe-trol station dealers in Perak who wanted to bring cheer to the orphans from the Pertubuhan Kabajikan Anak- Anak Yatim Nurhidayah in Kampung Cheh.
It was among the activities held under the Petronas Dagangan Berhad’s community service programme the-med ‘Seronoknya Alam Fauna @ Zoo Taiping’.
Organisation chairman Abdul Ma-nap Mohd Tahir accompanied the or-phans on their visit.
They also received goodies from Pe-tronas Dagangan Northern Region sales manager Noordin Mahajar.
Also present at the event were Larut Matang and Selama Territorial Chief Datuk Dr Wan Isa Wan Ahmad who was the guest of honour, Taiping Mu-nicipal Council president Datuk Mu-hammad Padzil Mohd Khalid, Tai- ping Zoo director Dr Kevin Lazarus and Toh Tan Paduka Zainol Kamar who represented the 71 Petronas petrol station operators who sponsored the event.
Muhammad Padzil also received a mock cheque of RM5,000 from Zainol for the maintenance expenses of a white rhinocerous, one of the 1,300 animals kept in the zoo.
Noordin later told reporters that motorists who buy RM40 worth of Pe-tronas Primax 3 fuel using the company’s Kad Mesra at any Petronas service station in Perak were entitled to a children’s entry ticket to Taiping Zoo at half price.
(Entrance for children to the zoo is RM3 for day visit and RM6 for night safari).
Muhammad Padzil hoped more companies would come forward to sponsor the zoo animals.
He said annually, about a dozen companies forked out between RM30,000 and RM50,000 to sponsor the cost of feeding the animals.
About RM900,000 was needed to feed the animals yearly, he said.
Taiping Zoo received RM3mil in gate collection annually compared to the expenditure of between RM2.4mil and RM2.5mil, he said.
