(Malaysia) New zoo policy needed

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http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/11/2/focus/5022945 & sec=focus

 

Monday November 2, 2009

 

New zoo policy needed

 

IT is high time the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry took a real hard

look at the more than 30 animal establishments be they zoos, mini-zoos,

aviaries, bird parks or crocodile farms existing in almost every state in

Malaysia. The Housing and Local Government Ministry too should adopt a similar

approach as some state zoos fall under its management.

 

Both these ministries need to see the real zoo situation for themselves instead

of focusing on just one major problematic and mismanaged zoo. Before thinking of

transforming the National Zoo into a “world-class zoo,†priorities should be

placed on the many such establishments where conditions are mediocre.

 

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) has received a number of complaints from visitors

regarding the incarceration of wildlife in small cages, dirty exhibits, and

bored, listless and lethargic animals.

 

Understandably many of our zoos are only for people, not the animals. Some zoos

spend thousands of ringgit building unsuitable enclosures and acquire exotic

animals which are expensive to maintain.

 

There is obviously a lack of expert planning and management of zoos and a total

lack of understanding of the particular needs of the animals in a zoo. Animals

often end in suffering and death. Keeping wildlife captive in zoos only fosters

the emergence of abnormal behavioural patterns.

 

In zoos, animals become mere spectacles and commercial commodities. In the case

of petting zoos, animals are kept in small corralled areas where curious

children harass them.

 

There are many examples of situations where humans come into close

“hands-on†contact with animals kept specifically for human-animal

interactions. Handling and feeding of animals by visitors are seldom supervised

or controlled.

 

The animals are not chosen for their suitability for handling, and many are

subjected to suffering, distress or excessive disturbance. This is sheer

cruelty!

 

There is an occurring incident where a tiger is forced to sit and have its

photographs taken, which goes on late into the night.

 

The tiger is often beaten to ensure it obeys commands, causing extreme stress to

the animal.

 

Currently guidelines for zoos are merely administrative with no legal force, and

only cases of cruelty are dealt with under the Wildlife Protection Act. For an

industry which is mushrooming, it is up to the Government to act now.

 

With no law ensuring minimum standards for zoo animals, the majority of these

zoos are set up for nothing more than profit or entertainment.

 

Zoos should be held responsible and accountable for the charges under their

care. Consequently, setting minimum enforcement standards for all zoos in the

name of animal welfare ought to be enshrined in national legislation.

 

A new zoo policy which, while not intending to abolish zoos as an institution,

should aim to abolish those which are badly run or fail to fulfil basic animal

welfare requirements.

 

A Zoo Policy should ensure, among other things, tighter enforcement of the Zoo

Licencing Act; doing away with the Special Permit enabling zoos to acquire

animals in the CITES I category; setting up an official advisory panel on

captive animal welfare, setting suitable welfare standards for zoo animals; and

the feasibility of making all zoos form and pay into a guaranteed closure fund

which would underwrite operational care costs in the event of a zoo closing.

 

Serious consideration ought to be given to fit zoos into a stricter legal

framework. Proper respect for animals requires the adoption of compulsory

minimum standards for the welfare of all captive animals. Surely there is more

to treating animals in an appropriate way than just keeping them alive.

 

S.M. MOHD IDRIS,

 

Sahabat Alam Malaysia, Penang.