Nature conservation and ecotourism in Malaysia

National Elephant Conservation Centre, Kuala Gandah, Pahang 

The Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) established National Elephant Conservation Centre in 1989. The centre is a base for the Elephant Relocation Team, which began the elephant translocation programme in 1974.

The only one of its kind in Malaysia, the team is dedicated to locating, subduing and then translocation problem elephants from areas where their habitats are constantly being encroached by plantations, to other suitable habitats throughout Peninsular, including Taman Negara National Park. Over the past 30 years the 24 strong team has helped to prevent the further decline of the elephant population by relocating more than 450 wild elephants.

In addition of being the home to the translocation team and a herd of resident elephants, the centre also carries out public awareness activities related to the conservation issues of elephants in Malaysia. It also supports research activities on elephant translocation and conservation. The centre is open to visitors throughout the year. Visitors can ride the elephant within the centre; assist in bathing and feeding them.

The awareness activities strive to educate the public about the importance of the species and habitat protection. Visitors are encouraged to view a video presentation on elephant translocation at the centre. Upon request special programme can be arranged for school groups. A scheduled visitor’s programme is available, which could be referred under the “Visitor Timetable” below.

The Resident Elephants at the Centre
The centre houses a number of resident elephants which were brought in from Thailand and Myanmar. These elephants are trained and used in translocation exercise of catching problem wild elephants in throughout Peninsular Malaysia. The centre also looks after orphaned elephants to ensure their continued survival.

The Asian Elephants
The Peninsular Malaysian elephants belong to the Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) is listed as a critically endangered species, with less than 40,000 wild elephants in Asia, including a maximum of 1,200 wild elephants in Peninsular Malaysia. Protecting the Asian elephants help safeguard thousands of other species within its habitat. The elephant creates vital natural pathways by knocking over trees, allowing smaller species to feed, as well as dispersing plant seeds in its dung. However, due to habitat loss, elephants are forced to hunt for food in convert areas surrounding forest such as plantations, where they raid crops on a massive scale. This is why the translocation team has such a dire responsibility to move these elephants, to prevent them from otherwise being shot by farmers, or simply dying of starvation.

Image Source:http://www.myelephants.org

Visitor Timetable at the Centre
Visitors are encouraged to participate in activities from 2.00 pm onwards.

Time	Activities
2.15 pm	ELEPHANT RIDE Visitors are invited to ride and elephant around the centre.
2.30 pm	BATHING Visitors can join the elephants as they bathe and swim in the river under staff supervision.
3.30 pm	FEEDING Visitors can participate in feeding the elephants, their dinner of banana, carrot, papaya etc.
3.45 pm	VIDEO SHOW Visitors may view a video on issues surrounding wild elephants, diminishing habitat and translocation

Here you’re not only able to watch elephants in the wild, but also feed, ride and swim with them

How to Get There
Visitors are encouraged to contact the centre to facilitate arrangements and to determine whether the centre can accommodate your visit especially if you are coming in a big group. Visitors are advised to bring with them additional clothing should they wish to participate in bathing activities with the elephants in the river. The centre welcomes visitors to the National Elephant Conservation Centre with the aim of educating with outdoor activities.

No admission fees but donations can be contributed to the elephant trust fund. www.myelephants.org

Your Support and Contribution Needed
The National Elephant Conservation Centre at Kuala Gandah is managed by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia. Continuous efforts are being undertaken to enhance the existing facilities either for research and development or visitors to the centre. The Department strives to make this centre as the region’s most outstanding elephant training and conservation centre. We welcome any form of assistance and support.

Enquiries pertaining to assistance and contribution can be forwarded to the staff at the centre. The Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia has established the Elephant Trust Fund to facilitate donation from the public. You can also forward your enquiries by writing to the following address:

Head
National Elephant Conservation Centre (NECC)
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP/PERHILITAN)
Kuala Gandah, 28500 Lanchang
Pahang Darul Makmur
Tel: 09-2790391

 THIS ELEPHANTS NEED YOUR DONATIONS

For more info, go to Donation pages

 

Malacca Zoo - The second largest zoo in Malaysia

Zoo Melaka with an area of 54 acres (21.2 ha) is situated in Ayer Keroh, which is a well-known tourism destination in Melaka. The zoo was established in 1963 and originally under the Melaka State Government but its management was taken over by The Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP/PERHILITAN) in 1979 and was officially opened to public by the then Prime Minister, Dato Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on 13th August 1987. The zoo which is also a member of the South-East Asian Zoological Park Association (SEAZA). consist of 4 division that is administration, veterinary, curator and zoo development division.

Zoo Melaka has progressed rapidly to be the second biggest zoo in the country. Located approximately 13 km from the city center of Melaka, it was the first zoo in the region to exhibit the endangered Sumatran rhinoceros and Gaur. At present, there are a total of over 1200 specimen made up of 200 species of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians in the zoo.

The major attractions of Zoo Melaka are the Malayan Gaur, Serow and the Malayan Tiger. In line with the current zoo development Zoo Melaka adopted an open concept and maintains the natural green environment. Zoo’s Melaka role is as a centre for wildlife research, conservation breeding, zoo education center and a popular tourist destination. In order to achieve its goal, the four major functions Zoo Melaka are as follows:

Captive Breeding

Zoo Melaka functions as the major ex-situ breeding center for the DWNP. In this programme, breeding stock, especially the local threatened species are sourced for breeding in the zoo. Species successfully bred includes tiger, panther, tapir, serow, barking deer, sambar deer and many others.

Research

Research works carried out emphasized on medical research/treatment and behavioural studies. Zoo Melaka also provides support for researchers from DWNP and other institutions of higher learning. 

Recreation

Zoo Melaka provides affordable recreation opportunities. Promotions were carried out to attract more visitors and hence generating more revenue to the government and contributing toward the development of national tourism industry.

Education

The programme is designed to create awareness to the general public on wildlife and its conservation. Among the activities are lectures, video shows, publication of printed material and signage posted at all exhibits in the zoo.

Activities
Multi-animal show
Photography session with Orang Utan, birds and snake after show
Elephant Show
Photography session with elephant after show
Elephant feeding
Elephant and Horse rides
Every weekend, public holiday and school holiday
Tram Service

Visiting Hour

Day Zoo
Time : 9.00 am - 6.00 pm
Day : Monday - Friday

Night Zoo
Time : 8.00 pm - 10.00 pm
Day : Saturday, Sunday, School Holiday and Public Holiday

Entrance Fee :

Day Zoo

Adult (13 years and above)
Normal price - RM 7.00
Package price - RM 5.00

Children (5-12 years old)
Normal price - RM 4.00
Package price - RM 2.00

Student with uniform
Normal price - RM 2.00
Package price - RM 2.00

Video Camera
Normal price - RM 10.00
Package price - RM 10.00

Night Zoo

Adult (13 years old and above)
Normal price - RM 10.00
Package price - RM 8.00

Children (5-12 years old)
Normal price - RM 5.00
Package price - RM 4.00

Note : Camera, video camera and torchlight are not allowed for the Night Zoo.

Sponsor

The Zoo Melaka Adoption Scheme provides opportunity for individuals, private companies and corporate bodies to sponsor wildlife species in the zoo. The sponsorship will help support the cost of maintaining the animals. All sponsorship will be deposited into the Zoo Melaka Trust Fund which is managed by the zoo. Proceed from this trust fund will be used to pay for additional food for the animals, medicine, enclosure improvement and modification.

Privilege Afforded To Sponsors:
i.	Free admission and the number of tickets depend on the amount of sponsorship.
ii.	Signboard of sponsorship will be erected at the animal enclosure for sponsors above RM 1,000.00. The sponsors will be allowed to include their logo on the signboard.
iii.	Sponsors will be allowed to conduct separate promotional programmes, which benefits both parties.
iv.	Sponsors will be allowed to organize their own activities such as Family Day in specific areas in the zoo.
v.	Sponsors will enjoy free publicity apart from the cheque presentation ceremony. These include World Children Day, press releases on new animals born in the zoo and other occasions, which the zoo organizes.
vi.	A certificate of appreciation will be presented to sponsors contributing more than RM 1,000.00
vii.	The Director of company sponsoring the animal adoption scheme will be invited to present the sponsorship cheque to the Chief Minister of Melaka in a special ceremony.
viii.	All sponsorship to the Zoo's Adoption scheme will be tax exempted under Section 44(6) Akta Cukai Pendapatan 1967.
ix.	Sponsors pledging more than RM 10,000 will be allowed to erect their own signboards.

For more information, please contact:

Director

Zoo Melaka
Hang Tuah Jaya, 75450 Ayer Keroh, Melaka.
Tel: 606-232 4054
Fax: 606-232 5859 
E-mail: zoomelaka@wildlife.gov.my

New regulation seeks to improve zoo conditions

A new regulation spells hope for the betterment of animals kept in zoos.

IF animals could laugh and sing in happiness, there would be some trumpeting of joy emerging from zoos and wildlife parks in Peninsular Malaysia for on Feb 1, the Wildlife Conservation (Operation of Zoo) Regulations 2012 was gazetted.

The new regulation gives voice to the need to regulate zoos systematically and to higher standards. Animal lovers and conservationists have long highlighted the terrible conditions under which wildlife is held in captivity in such establishments. The problem was also widely highlighted in the media last year.

The new regulation is made possible with the enforcement of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 in December 2010. It replaces the Protection of Wildlife Act 1972 which had been criticised as lacking bite and failing to address many concerns.

Contrasting habitats: At Taiping Zoo, the orang utan enclosure has a good soft substrate and enrichment equipment, such as climbing vines.

 One of the failures was the lack of power for the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) to act against errant zoos and wildlife parks. Also, the old legislation has no provisions addressing wildlife welfare and cruelty to captive animals. The new regulation resolves these loophole as it provides for some areas where Perhilitan could take action against errant zoos.

Zoo operators have a six-month grace period to comply with the new requirements of the regulation. Those which do will be issued an annual permit. Any person operating a zoo without a permit is liable to a fine not exceeding RM70,000 or/and a prison term not exceeding three years.

The new regulation requires zoos and animal parks to:

> Adhere to minimum cage sizes, which are specified according to various animal groups.

> Have a quarantine area and a veterinary clinic or hospital.

> Employ a full-time consultant veterinarian.

 > Provide vaccination of animals by a veterinarian or anyone under his supervision.

> Provide nutritious and sufficient food for the animals, as prescribed by a veterinarian.

> Maintain a record of kept animals and their health care.

> Ensure the cleanliness of the facility.

> Conduct euthanasia of wildlife whenever necessary.

> Conduct wildlife shows that involves the animals’ natural behaviours only.

 > Submit a deposit to Perhilitan for the upkeep of animals should they be seized.

Instead of a grassy meadow to graze, all that these deer have in their enclosure in a wildlife park in Bukit Merah, Perak, is muddy earth. Wildlife groups are unhappy that the new regulation is silent on the suitable types of substrate for animal enclosures.

Operators who contravene these provisions are liable to a fine not exceeding RM100,000 or/and a prison term not exceeding five years.

Singapore-based non-governmental organisation Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres), which has done several surveys of Malaysian zoos and pointed out the weaknesses of these establishments, views the new regulation positively.

“It is undoubtedly a good start and it shows that Perhilitan is serious about addressing zoo animal welfare issues and has also responded positively to the feedback given by Acres, other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and members of the public. This is undoubtedly one of the best zoo regulations we have seen in South-East Asia,” says executive director Louis Ng.

Upreshpal Singh, founder of the Friends of Orang Utans Malaysia, concurs. “The new law looks really good and it comes at a time when many zoos still have to improve, some more so,” he says.

While acknowledging that the new regulation is “a good start”, Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) president S.M. Mohamed Idris questions if Perhilitan has the manpower to inspect the many operations that house wild animals. “The new legislation cannot be effective until enforcement officers have acquired expertise in recognising defects in animal husbandry and can devote their time to unannounced physical checks of premises,” he says.

The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry (NRE), however, assures that there will be enough manpower to scrutinise the zoos as it will rely on Perhilitan’s zoo audit team, law enforcement team and wildlife crime units, as well as its own independent zoo review panel. In response to concerns raised by Traffic South-East Asia senior communications officer Elizabeth John, it says the operating permit of a zoo will not be automatically renewed each year. An audit would be done first to ensure compliance with the regulation. In addition, Perhilitan will conduct enforcement checks, attend to public complaints and provide advice to the zoos.

A March 2011 filepix of a sickly lion with wounds on its head and skin lesions, in a tiny cage with damp flooring at Saleng Zoo in Kulai, Johor. The new regulation stipulates minimum cage sizes for captive animals.

Too lenient

Sean Whyte, founder of Britain’s Nature Alert and a strong critic of Malaysian zoos, describes the regulation as “comprehensive and excellent”. However, he worries about Perhilitan’s dismal record in enforcing the law and the leniency which it has shown to some zoos. “The new law will be useless if not enforced diligently and transparently by Perhilitan. We can only judge them by what they do, not by what they say they will do,” cautions Whyte.

The Ministry counters that NGOs, instead of making accusations, should join Perhilitan in its Teman Zoo Program (Friends of Zoos Programme), an outreach programme launched in July last year for guidance to zoo operators.

“The NGOs can file their complaints to various government agencies, media and political parties if they feel Perhilitan has committed any wrong doings,” it adds.

Measures to monitor the diet of captive animals and their health records are addressed in the Zoo Best Management Guidelines which are now being drafted. On the NGOs’ criticism that the regulation is silent on the type of substrate and furniture used in animal enclosures, the Ministry says these will be controlled by Perhilitan’s zoo audit team and the NRE zoo review panel.

The Ministry says animal inventory – data on births, deaths, acquisitions, escapes, transfers and releases – will be governed by the main Act, specifically in the provisions on “licences and permits”, and also under “duties and obligations”.

“The animal’s record must tally with the tag ID which must be reported to the licensing division for verification when acquiring the animal,” says the Ministry.

But a perusal of the main Act sees some ambiguity in matters concerning animal births, escape and release.

Purely entertainment

One contentious issue with regards to wildlife park operations is the running of animal shows to entertain visitors. Among the acts which had wildlife lovers fuming were: a sun bear made to support itself on a rolling drum; a pig-tailed macaque on a leash made to dive into a tank of water from a raised platform; and orang utans made to cycle.

Previously, zoos have been issued “instructions” to conduct shows which only exhibit the natural behaviour of animals but this was openly flouted. The instruction is now provided for under the regulation.

The Ministry says if zoos fail to comply with the new requirement after the six-month grace period, action will be taken. “The public, too, must do their part by not demanding for circus acts and shy away from it. Awareness is pertinent in this aspect,” it says. To ensure the welfare of captive animals, matters pertaining to cruelty and mistreatment are covered in the main Act.

Do it right: Will our zoos look like this in future? This lush enclosure at Singapore Zoo provides a semi-wild environment for a captive tiger.

Meanwhile, three other regulations are being drafted to address other concerns. The proposed Wildlife Conservation (Disposal) Regulations will stipulate matters on euthanasia of animals and require records of disposals to be reported to Perhilitan’s licensing division. The proposed Wildlife Conservation (Commercial Captive Breeding) Regulations will regulate breeding and surplus zoo animals. Transportation of animals to and from zoos will be covered under the proposed Wildlife Conservation (Exhibition) Regulations.

Meanwhile, SAM asks that all proposed new zoos and parks – such as the purportedly largest bird park in South-East Asia, to be sited at the Botanical Gardens in Ayer Keroh, Malacca; the zoo in Kemaman, Terengganu; and the Bukit Gambang Safari Park in Kuantan – be put on hold. It says getting existing zoos to meet the new standards should be the priority for Perhilitan.

The department, however, sees no reason why the new zoos should not be set up as long as they are in accordance with the new regulation. Well, it remains to be seen how effective the policing of the new law will be. Meanwhile, those concerned with the treatment of animals in zoos say they will be vigilant.

Source : thestar.com.my

Malaysia's Biodiversity Our Natural Heritage: Part 1

Malaysia is one of the twelve "megadiversity" countries of the world. These countries together contain at least 60 percent of the world's known species. The island of Borneo containing the states of Sabah and Sarawak has been listed as one key area for endemism.

Flora

The flora of Malaysia is exceedingly rich and is conservatively estimated to contain about 12,500 species of flowering plants, and more than 1,100 species of ferns and fern allies. Many of these are unique and are found nowhere else in the world. In Peninsular Malaysia, for example, well over 26% of the tree species are endemic. Higher endemism is expected in the herbaceous flora with some of the larger genera estimated to be endemic in more than 80% of their species. Many endemic plants are localised in their distribution, being found only in a few valleys or mountain tops.

Much remains to be known of the flora of the country, especially of lower plants such as the bryophytes, algae, lichens and fungi. The fungi constitute the major plant diversity of the country but the total number of species is not known.

The terrestrial flora, as well as fauna, are found in a range of habitats and ecosystems from the lowlands to the top of the highest mountains, and in a wide range of forest types. These forest types form the cradle of the country's biological diversity. The lowland dipterocarp forest is extremely rich in species diversity. For example, 814 species of woody plants of 1 cm diameter and larger were found in a 50 hectare area in such a forest type. Now not much remains of this forest type due mainly to agricultural expansion.

Endemism in plant species is high in freshwater habitats. In Peninsular Malaysia, for example, 80 species in freshwater swamps and 27 species in river systems are known to be endemic. Another 70 and 41 species respectively are known to be rare.

The marine ecosystem surrounding the country's landmass, which includes the coral reefs, is extremely rich in the variety of life-forms. The coral reef community in Malaysia is considered to be one of the most diverse in the world. But the marine flora and fauna have been poorly documented. The flora include phytoplankton, seaweeds and sea grasses.

Fauna

There is an even greater diversity of fauna in the country. In the vertebrates, there are about 300 species of wild mammals, 700-750 species of birds, 350 species of reptiles, 165 species of amphibians and more than 300 species of freshwater fish. Endemism in the states of Sabah and Sarawak is higher than in Peninsular Malaysia. While there are about 1,200 species of butterflies and 12,000 species of moths in Malaysia, little is known of other groups. A conservative estimate is that there are more than 100,000 species of invertebrates.

Freshwater habitats such as the lowland slow-flowing streams and upland rivers with water torrents support a diverse aquatic invertebrate fauna and a variety of fish. Marine fauna include fish, cuttlefish, squids, sea urchins, giant clams, sea cucumbers, copepods, segestid shrimps, arrow worms and many other large and small organisms.