Bred in captivity: About 17 Malaysian porcupines now call a farm near Kampung Temenin Baru in Kota Tinggi, Johor, home. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
Kota Tinggi retiree turns his pet farm into a tourist attraction
WHEN you see a Malayan porcupine or landak raya, the first thing you think of is avoiding its sharp quills at all cost.
However, retiree Sirat Samad finds the prickly mammal a loveable creature.
The 60-year-old has been breeding Malayan porcupine since 2020 on 2.4ha of land near Kampung Temenin Baru in Kota Tinggi, Johor.
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“After retiring, I was contemplating opening a bakery in my village but my wife told me to do something else since I had already worked as a baker in Johor Baru for more than 20 years.
“Then the Southeast Johor Development Authority (Kejora) organised a workshop to encourage people to breed the Malayan porcupine.
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“After attending the course, I decided to try my luck as their numbers in our forests are decreasing,” he told StarMetro.Sirat feels that people have a misconception that a porcupine will shoot its quills whenever it feels threatened.
“It does not shoot its quills, but it will make its body bigger.
“These porcupines do not like to be startled and will immediately go on defensive mode.
Sirat showing his licence from Perhilitan to breed the Malayan porcupine. He intends to care for his porcupines for the rest of his life.
“Even with the quills, porcupine behaviour is similar to a house cat.
“Each time I say ‘tajam’, they know that it is feeding time,” he said.
Besides landak raya, there are two other porcupine species that can be found in Malaysia, which are landak padi and landak nibong, according to Sirat.
He usually buys about 20kg of fruits and vegetables, including yam, to feed the porcupines at his farm weekly.
“The quill on its body is not the only sharp thing that a porcupine has.
“It has really sharp teeth which can do serious damage to wood and even concrete,” he said.
Sirat has spent about RM300,000 from his savings to build proper cages that house his Malayan porcupines, to meet the strict requirements set by Johor Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan).
The Malayan porcupines are housed in cages at Sirat’s farm. His porcupines are not for slaughter or sale.
“Initially, I got a pair of porcupines from a licensed breeder, a male and a female porcupine, to breed at my farm and now their numbers have grown to 17 within the past three years,” he said.
Sirat said that it was not easy to get the licence from Perhilitan to breed the porcupines, as there were many requirements he needed to fulfil.
Among the requirements are having a big piece of land, which must not be in a flood-prone area, as well as having proper cages with water supply and ventilation.
“On top of that, I must also have a good security system including adequate lighting around my land.
“I also have to report to Perhilitan for every pregnant female porcupine in my farm.
“For every porcupine that is born on my farm, I need to apply for a separate licence from Perhilitan,” he said, adding that he would have to pay RM20 for each licence application.
He normally reports to Perhilitan three days before the female porcupine is due to give birth, and the department will then send their officers to carry out an inspection.
The gestation period for female porcupines is about three to four months.
Two Malayan porcupines having fresh fruits at Sirat’s farm in Kota Tinggi, Johor. The porcupine’s most distinct feature is the sharp quills around its body. — Photos by THOMAS YONG/The Star
It can give birth five times in a space of two years.
An interesting fact about the female porcupine is that its nipples are located on its shoulder area and not under the body like most other animals.
“From the moment baby porcupines (or porcupettes) are born, they already have quills on their body,” said Sirat.
He takes the baby porcupines to a veterinarian in Johor Baru for check-ups.
Perhilitan also requires that a chip be inserted into the animals to ensure breeders abide by the rules.
“I choose not to slaughter or sell my porcupines to a third party,” said Sirat.
The animal is often hunted by poachers for its meat and internal organs, which some claim have medicinal value.
Visitors Siti Nora Jasman and her daughter Nurzarra Emelda Shahrizan learning about the Malayan porcupine at the farm.
Sirat said that due to strict regulations, there were only a handful of porcupine breeders in Johor.
His porcupine farm is open to the public and he has received good response from both domestic and foreign tourists.
It is open every day from 10am to 6pm and the entrance fee is RM5 per person.
“There is a good mix of local and foreign tourists.
“Many of them have never seen a Malayan porcupine before.
“These porcupines can live more than 20 years and I want to take care of them for the rest of my life,” said Sirat.
Under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716), the Malayan porcupine, which is a species of the rodent family, is listed as a protected animal.
Besides Malaysia, the Malayan porcupine can also be found in Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brunei, Nepal, Bangladesh and China.
It can weigh up to 20kg once it reaches adulthood.
The male Malayan porcupine is bigger in size and has a longer tail compared to the female.
The landak raya is stout and has short, stocky legs with four claws on the front and five on the hind legs.
In the wild, the Malayan porcupine’s diet consists of roots, tubers, bark and fallen fruits. It also eat insects and large tropical seeds.
