Guest guest Posted March 7, 2007 Report Share Posted March 7, 2007 Thursday March 1, 2007 - The Star Zoo caring for rescued calf By LEE YUK PENG and MARSHA TAN MALACCA: Amid was a neglected, malnourished three-month-old elephant calf tied up cruelly at a theme park when he was rescued earlier this month. Now, he has several caretakers at the zoo here who take turns feeding him milk, bread, oatmeal and glucose drinks many times a day. But it will take a year, at least, to get him back to normal. Doing better: Zookeeper Hamdan Kamaruddin feeding Amid at the Malacca Zoo quarantine area on Wednesday. The calf's shoulder blade can be seen clearly. " He's very much underweight compared to a normal elephant calf, " Malacca Zoo director Mohd Nawayai Yasak told The Star yesterday. " We have put him under a treatment plan, which basically consists of multi-vitamins, to help increase his appetite to make up for the weight loss and this is likely to take up to one year. Amid was a heart wrenching sight with his vertebrae jutting out and the clear outline of his ribcage showing under his hide. In early February, the Wildlife Department confiscated the male calf from a theme park and handed him to the zoo. " We do not know exactly what happened, but we believe that the herd of elephants which Amid belonged too was trying to cross a river to escape a flood when it was left behind. " The currents were probably too strong for it to cross and the mother had to leave him behind. Such a scenario – a mother elephant leaving behind its calf – is rare, " said Mohd Nawayai. He said the calf was most likely captured and later sold to the theme park, adding that the captors probably did not know how to tie the elephant, resulting in its neck being hurt. He believes Amid's mother is still alive because there had been no report of dead elephants or their carcasses. Amid, who takes a bath twice a day, is the eighth elephant to join seven others at the zoo, including the three " performers " – Mahkota, Noni and Teh. Amid is the second elephant calf sent to the Malacca Zoo after being seized. Rio was rescued by wildlife officers and sent to the zoo in March 2004. --\ ------------- Diet plan for baby jumbo - The Star By MARSHA TAN MALACCA: Elephant calves generally drink their mother's milk for up to two years or more, but being an orphan, three-month-old Amid will grow up on cow's milk powder and bread at the zoo here. Orphaned baby elephants are usually nursed by other lactating female elephants in the herd but Amid has lost not only his mother but his entire herd. " We have female elephants in the zoo but none of them are lactating. Even if they were, they might not accept Amid because he is not from their herd. Food supplements: Zoo keeper Hamdan Kamaruddin showing some of the food Amid will consume in the Malacca Zoo yesterday. " So, we have to give him milk powder until he is big enough for solid food, " Malacca Zoo director Mohd Nawayai Yasak told The Star yesterday. However, Amid is not consuming just any milk powder. He only drinks the Snow brand infant baby formula " because it is easy to digest and does not cause stomach discomfort. " " We chose this brand based on our experience with other baby animals in the zoo, " said Mohd Nawayai. To strengthen his malnourished body and increase his appetite, Amid is on a special treatment plan which includes multi-vitamins and glucose drinks. The Wildlife Department rescued Amid from a theme park earlier this month and handed it to the zoo. When confiscated, Amid was a heart-wrenching sight with his vertebrae jutting out and the clear outline of his ribcage showing under his hide. A healthy elephant calf weighs between 90-115kg and can gain one kg a day. Amid is only estimated to be slightly more than 50kg but is getting stronger and heavier steadily. In four feeds a day, Amid takes up to 10 litres of milk and three loaves of bread, which translates to one tin (1kg) of milk powder per day. The cost for one day's feed, including vitamins comes up to RM50. " We will put him on this plan for six months first, after which the amount (of food) will be increased. By the end of the year, we expect to double Amid's current food intake, " said Mohd Nawayai. Mohd Nawayai believes that Amid was captured and sold to the theme park after he failed to cross a river to escape a flood with his original herd. --\ ----------------- Friday March 2, 2007-The Star Theme park under probe again PETALING JAYA: The theme park where Amid the malnourished elephant calf was found is under investigation again. Two years ago it was found to have illegally acquired six Sumatran orang utans. The primates were seized and returned to Sumatra early last year. Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) enforcement director Misliah Mohamad Basir declined to reveal the action to be taken against the theme park over Amid or the action taken on the orang utans. She said the park did not have a permit to keep Amid. Amid's case highlights the long-standing issue of poorly-run private zoos and theme parks with animals. Zoo Negara director Dr Mohamad Ngah urged Perhilitan to control the issuing of permits to private zoos and theme parks and ensure that the animals were well cared for. Based on his visits and observations made by other zoo keepers, Dr Mohamad said many of these facilities were " not up to standard. " " They lack trained staff and knowledge on animal ethics and welfare. Many are poorly run because of insufficient finance. Keeping animals is costly. Zoo Negara for instance has a RM7mil operation expenditure annually, " he said. --\ ------- Wednesday March 7, 2007-The Star Sime Darby adopts baby jumbo By MARSHA TAN MALACCA: Azhar Abdul Hamid approached Amid and the baby jumbo moved towards him, gently stroking Azhar's legs with its trunk, as if to say " Hi, Dad. " It was such a touching sight to see Amid, which had lost its mother's love at only three months of age, lovingly mingle around Azhar, Sime Darby Plantations Sdn Bhd managing director. Yesterday, the company adopted Amid under the Malacca Zoo's Adoption Scheme for RM18,000 a year. Loving gesture: Azhar (left) stroking Amid's back gently while Mohd Nawayai looks on at the Malacca Zoo yesterday. The adoption came exactly one month after the Wildlife Department rescued it from a theme park on Feb 6. " We will adopt Amid until it is able to be independent, which means at least for the next 10 years. " We feel proud to be able to adopt Amid and at the same time enhance the corporate role in such activities, " said Azhar, who handed over a cheque for RM18,000 to Malacca Zoo director Mohd Nawayai Yasak yesterday. Azhar said he was touched by Amid's plight when it was first highlighted in The Star on March 1. When rescued, Amid was a heart-wrenching sight, with its ribcage visible under its hide. Subsequently, Amid was put on a diet plan where it consumed up to RM50 worth of food a day – comprising multi-vitamins, 10 litres of milk and three loaves of bread. Azhar said the company's representatives would visit Amid frequently to monitor its progress. --\ -------------- Friday March 2, 2007 The Star - Letters' page Don't allow animal shows at theme parks I REFER to the article " Zoo caring for rescued calf " (The Star, March 1). The Remembering Sheena Campaign (RSC) has written many times to the press protesting against stories that promote theme parks. God knows how many theme parks are exploiting animals for gain without any trained staff to care for their welfare. A RSC supporter wrote to us saying that when she visited Genting Highlands over the Chinese New Year holidays, she found a flyer placed under her car wipers promoting an animal park. Horrified, she threw the flyer away and wrote to RSC, asking why there aren't more animal sanctuaries being opened in Malaysia instead of theme parks that exploit animals. If people only knew the cruel training, starvation and stress the animals go through to perform shows day after day, they wouldn't find these shows so entertaining. Why can't Malaysia protect its forests and have Malaysians go there with qualified environmentalists to observe animals in their natural habitat. In this way, the public can also study and appreciate the eco-system and sights, smells and sounds of the jungle too. I notice the article in The Star did not mention Perhilitan taking any action against the management of the theme park. Why? Perhilitan allows all these atrocities to go on under its very nose and, once in a while, it goes in to " rescue " a skin-and-bone calf to show it is doing its job. What is this for? The cameras? How about Perhilitan doing something worthwhile for once and taking legal action against these theme parks and stopping other parks from abusing animals too? There is so much Perhilitan can do in terms of education and enforcement but, alas, its role as guardians of Malaysian forests and animals is sadly wanting. SHOBA MANO, Founding Member, Remembering Sheena Campaign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.