KULAI: The reopening of the Johor Zoo, initially scheduled for the end of this month, has been postponed, says state executive councillor Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor (pic).
The Johor housing and local government committee chairman said the delay was due to three main issues that arose at the end of March involving its septic tanks and reservoir wall.
"As the zoo is more than 100 years old, there were issues with the animals’ septic tanks which flowed into the reservoir causing it to smell.
"As such, we had to get additional funding to build individual septic tanks at each animal cage so that the waste could be processed before flowing into the reservoir," he told the media after visiting residents affected by water disruptions in Kampung Agas here on Monday (April 15).
In addition to that, part of the reservoir’s wall had collapsed while the upgrading works were being carried out, he said.
"The contractor also found that the wiring and piping system at the century-old zoo were too old and had to be dug out and repaired to prevent them from further damage.
"Despite the hiccups, the contractor is committed to addressing them in three months," he said, adding that an additional budget of RM1.1mil was needed to tackle the issues.
"As such, the reopening is now rescheduled for August,” he said.
In Nov 26 last year, it was reported that the Johor Zoo was scheduled to reopen by April 2024 once all the renovation and upgrading work was completed.
Mohd Jafni reportedly said a RM9mil allocation announced by Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi will be used under phase 1 for the development.
The upgrading works include a visitors’ walkway and entrance arch, an outdoor parking area, an online ticketing system, improvements to the zoo’s pond and gates, piping and electrical systems.
