44 Zoos in Malaysia - a Bolehland record

Imagine 44 zoos in Malaysia and only 1 in Singapore! The mother of all the problems in zoos is corruption. If only we have a transparent and competent government. If only the anti-corruption agency is fearless. If only wildlife personnel do their job well...all zoos would be well kept. Until then, even with strict enforcement and laws, the operators will get away with minimum charges. So for SAM and Foto, just dream on....

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Thursday June 28, 2012

Please give two hoots

Star

SOME of the zoos in the country are still in deplorable conditions, according to two non-governmental organisations.

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) and Friends of the Orangutans (Foto) claimed that many animals were suffering in these zoos due to poor maintenance.

SAM president S.M. Mohamed Idris, who said Malaysia has 44 zoos, which include mini zoos, aviaries and animal parks, claimed that some of them were in disgusting condition.

He said that, in contrast, Singapore has only one zoo which is of world class.

“Due to the lack of enforcement, many animals have suffered over the years at the hands of zoo operators whose main purpose is to make money.

“Zoos must be responsible to keep animals in conditions that satisfy their social behavioural and biological needs. The operators should also meet the standards of health and husbandry welfare of the animals,” Idris told a press conference at the Consumers Association of Penang’s office in Jalan Mesjid Negeri yesterday.

Foto founder Upreshpal Singh said an investigation conducted by the organisation at 15 zoos (including mini zoos, aviaries and animal parks) across Malaysia since July last year revealed that most of them were in terrible state due to lack of maintenance.

He cited as examples an ostrich farm, which had animals that looked sick, and a mini zoo with snakes kept in fish tanks that did not meet their species-specific needs.

Idris and Upreshpal also provided photos taken by SAM and Foto to back their claims. One of them showed ostriches without feathers.

Upreshpal also claimed that there was a theme park where elephants were used for entertainment purposes, with the animals made to draw and their drawings sold for profit.

Both SAM and Foto urged the Wildlife and National Parks De­­part­ment (Perhilitan) to stop issuing licences for new zoos unless existing ones are properly maintained.

Their claims of deplorable conditions at the zoos come as the six-month grace period for zoo operators to comply with requirements of the Wildlife Conservation (Operation of Zoo) Regulations 2012, which was gazetted on Feb 1, is about to expire.

The new law requires zoos and animal parks to adhere to minimum cage sizes, which are specified according to various animal groups; to have a quarantine area and a veterinary clinic or hospital; and to employ a full-time veterinarian.

Other requirements are to provide vaccination of animals by a veterinarian or anyone under his supervision, to ensure the cleanliness of the facility and that wildlife shows can only be conducted if it involved the animals’ natural behaviours.

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

It was reported on May 16 that Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas said zoos and wildlife sanctuaries, which mistreat animals, would not be allowed to operate under the new guidelines to be enforced from August.

He had said that zoos that flouted the regulations would be denied a licence at the end of the six-month grace period.

Wildlife laws vs Animal Welfare Bill

Shooting of stray dogs and other animals will be banned if the proposed Animal Welfare Bill is passed with all the suggestions intact (Star, 9 Jun 2012). So those canine and pussy lovers should be happy today!

Interesting news today on ‘Inhumane act’ to domestic animals but lets compare the Wildlife Acts on cruelty to wildlife....after reading the proposal on the 'Inhumane act' vs the 'Wildlife act', we could roughly presume that killing a tiger and killing a dog sama-sama saja. If this 'Inhumane act' is justified, then 'Wildlife act' should be amended, if not how can killing a tiger = killing a dog? 

Read the Wildlife act below.....

Under Section 86 of  Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716), Laws of Malaysia on Cruelty to wildlife it says

(1) Save as otherwise provided in this section, any person who-

(a) beats, kicks, infuriates, terrifies, tortures, declaws or defangs any wildlife;

(b) neglects to supply sufficient food or water to any wildlife which he houses, confines or breeds;

(c) keeps, houses, confines or breeds any wildlife in such manner so as to cause it unnecessary pain or suffering including the housing, confining or breeding of any wildlife in any premises which is not suitable for or conducive to the comfort or health of the wildlife;

(d) uses any wildlife for performing or assisting in the performance of any work or labour which by reason of any infirmity, wound, disease or any other incapacity it is unfit to perform;

(e) uses, provokes or infuriates any wildlife for the purpose of baiting it or for fighting with any other wildlife or animal, or manages any premises or place for any of these purposes; or

(f) wilfully does or wilfully omits to do anything which causes any unnecessary suffering, pain or discomfort to any wildlife,

commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine of not less than RM5,000 and not more than RM50,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both.

(2) This section shall not apply to any person who wounds any wildlife in the course of lawfully hunting it under this Act.

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Now read the news on dogs and cats....

June 9, 2012

‘Inhumane act’ may be banned

Star

PUTRAJAYA: Shooting of stray dogs and other animals will be banned if the proposed Animal Welfare Bill is passed with all the suggestions intact.

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Deputy Minister Datuk Chua Tee Yong said shooting was “an inhumane act” and there had been too many complaints over the mistreatment of stray dogs.

“Generally, the ministry does not condone nor support such acts,” he said. “However, there is a need to include a clause in the Bill for exceptions, such as in an emergency or for disease control,” he said in an interview.

Banning the shooting of animals is one of several proposals under the Bill, which Chua described as “a stepping stone to strengthen the welfare and protection of animals”.

He said the ministry would hold an Open Day on June 19 at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang to gather feedback from the public, NGOs and other stakeholders on how best to improve the Bill.

“Aside from imposing fines and jail terms for offences related to animal welfare, we are also looking into introducing deterrent measures in the Bill,” he said.

“These include disqualifying a person from keeping pets to prevent the offence from being repeated.”

Chua said the Bill would cover all animals, including domesticated pets, livestock and zoo animals.

“Part of the Bill also outlines the responsibility of pet owners. This is subject to debate and as such, we welcome suggestions from the public at the Open Day,” he said.

So as to have a closer working relationship with the public on the issue, Chua said the Bill would also allow people to assist the ministry's officers in eradicating animal cruelty.

“They will not have the same powers and jurisdiction as the officers but they can keep an eye on behalf of the ministry,” he said.

Chua said the Bill would be ready for tabling only after obtaining clarification from the Attorney-General's Chambers.

“However, while waiting for the Bill to be ready, the existing Animal Act 1953 will be amended to impose heavier penalties for animal cruelty,” he said, adding that the ministry hoped to table these changes this year.

Soon, those found guilty could be fined up to RM50,000, a year's jail term, or both. Currently, the maximum fine is RM200, a jail term of not more than six months, or both.

State sanctioned animal mistreatment in Zambry's Perak

06 October 2011
Written by Mariam Mokhtar,
Malaysia Chronicle

It is outrageous that animals are being neglected by the MBI (Ipoh City Council or Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh).

Despite the public condemnation which it received last year, MBI continues the callous, indiscriminate shooting of dogs including pets, and has still not learned its lesson.

In October 2010, the MBI made headline news for shooting a therapy dog and long term companion of a 75 year old lady. This lady was about to exercise her dog, when she popped into her house to retrieve something she had forgotten.

When she returned after being away for a few minutes, her dog Spunk, was nowhere to be found; after much searching, she found his body. Spunk had been shot by dog shooters who did not even bother to check if the animal had a license on its collar.

The aftermath of this killing was that an immediate ban was placed on the shooting of dogs.

This was rescinded in March 2011 when the Ipoh Mayor, Roshidi Hashim admitted that his enforcement team had shot at dogs in Ipoh, because nurses coming off-duty at one of the private hospitals had complained about dogs barking.

Roshidi approved the shooting because the MBI had an ‘option to shoot’ dogs, in its local by-laws.

Filthy and neglected

However, during my visit to the Gunung Lang recreational park just off the Kuala Kangsar Road in Ipoh, on 24 September 2011, I discovered that dogs are not the only animals to suffer cruelty at the hands of the MBI.

The park at Gunung Lang is only accessible by boat. The place looks idyllic but on closer inspection, it has an air of disarray and neglect. At one time, this Gunung Lang park must have been a gem and a welcome green lung for Ipoh.

The park keeps animals in cages or fenced off enclosures. Many of these animals looked diseased and unhealthy. Their fur had no shine and the animals were filthy, and looked neglected.

One rabbit in the cage close to the jetty, looked as though its nose was about to drop off. Bits of its skin were bare of fur and the cage was littered with rabbit pellets and looked like it was rarely cleaned.

In the far-side of the park, several caged enclosures looked like they needed repair and there was no information about any of the animals or birds which they housed. Many of the cages were empty or had broken fencing. Equipment which needed repair and metal containers with sharp projections, were dumped in these cages.

The ostriches at Gunung Lang, did not look at all happy, nor healthy. Their feathers were sparse and unhealthy, their eyes dull. They were severely dehydrated and there was no water supply. One trough, which should have had water in it, had been removed from its frame, whilst another had only a small amount of brackish water.

Some deer were housed with the ostriches. They also looked unhealthy. They were lethargic and didn’t come to investigate us, as normal healthy animals would. They appeared to be dehydrated and were lying or standing on waterlogged ground. It looked like some of the deer were eating their faeces. Isn’t this a sign of boredom, stress, a lack of minerals in their diet or perhaps, malnutrition?

Other cages housed guinea fowl and turkeys. These birds also looked unhealthy.

Why has the mayor allowed such terrible practices to continue? Is he not ashamed that with Visit Perak Year (VPY) 2012 just around the corner, Malaysia’s reputation as a nation which ill-treats its animals will be highlighted by the foreigner?

As a local, many of us find that our complaints fall on deaf ears and that action is only taken by the authorities, when a foreign tourist makes a big issue of it.

If the MBI cannot properly manage these bird and animals, and if MBI cannot pay for the regular services of a vet, then these animals and birds should be put down to end their suffering.

Jokers in charge

Those in charge of tourism in Perak are excited about VPY 2012. However, these people have their priorities confused. They must realise that tourism is not just about an increase in the number of hotel rooms, or of places to eat.

Tourism is also about health, hygiene and human considerations towards animal welfare.

What good is an eatery if we have no clue about keeping out streets, toilets, kitchens and drains clean? Several people complain of irregular rubbish collections, drains which remain clogged and restaurants where the rodents are as large as domestic cats.

What is the point of a recreational park, which is covered in litter and broken amenities? Why should we have caged animals if we won’t care for them? Tourists will not be impressed by a park in which animals are suffering a slow and lingering death.

The MBI, the Ipoh mayor, the tourism department of Perak and the state executive councilor for Perak tourism, Hamidah Othman, must realise that VPY 2012 should be more than just restaurants, hotel rooms and a fancy launch for the VPY 2012 logo. A successful VPY must also include animal welfare.

Both Roshidi and Hamidah should investigate why animals kept in cages and enclosures in the Gunung Lang recreational park are kept in terrible conditions and they must do something about it. It should not be up to members of the public to continually catch the MBI with its pants down.

Malaysia Chronicle