Zoo Negara ready to welcome back visitors

In for a wild time: Many families with young children are returning to Zoo Negara which reopened yesterday. More visitors are expected in the coming days. — YAP CHEE HONG/The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Zoo Negara has reopened its gates to visitors after being closed for about two months due to the conditional movement control order imposed starting mid-October.

A check by The Star on its first day of operation yesterday revealed a modest but steady pick-up in foot traffic, especially couples with young children.

Civil servant Zainor Mishak Mohd Saad, 39, who came from Melaka, was seen with his wife and five children in tow.

“I came to Kuala Lumpur for work and brought my family along.

“My wife and I decided to take the kids to the zoo before we head back to Melaka because they have never been here before, ” he said, adding that they spent some RM200 on entrance tickets.

Self-employed Mohd Ridwan Akisah, 43, from Jerantut, Pahang, and his wife brought their one-year-old toddler.

“We came to Selangor on Thursday to visit my elder sister who lives in Sungai Buloh and decided to enjoy some family time together by visiting the zoo before we return home, ” he said.

Zoo Negara deputy president Rosly Ahmat Lana said more visitors were expected in the coming days while describing the foot traffic on the zoo’s first day back in operation as “encouraging”.

“However, we are limiting people inside the zoo to only 1,250 visitors at a time.

“If the limit is reached, the next batch of visitors will have to wait until those inside the zoo exit the compound, ” he said.

Separately, Rosly said no death was recorded among the animals under its care except for a sheep during a flash flood that hit the area on Dec 10.

He thanked the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council and the Fire and Rescue Department for their swift action in helping to clean up the area after the flood.

“Our workers were also able to rescue the animals and move them to safer locations, ” he said.

The incident attracted public attention after a video circulated on social media showing the zoo staff coordinating rescue operations for the animals in ankle-deep floodwater.

Rosly said the matter had been forwarded to the relevant authorities for further attention to prevent future occurrences.

Zoo Negara was opened on Nov 14,1963, by then Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman.

The 44ha wildlife sanctuary currently houses some 5,100 animals from over 470 species.