Easy access: Wider footpaths are among the upgrades inside Johor Zoo, which is located along Jalan Gertak Merah in Johor Baru. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
JOHOR folk are looking forward to visiting Johor Zoo when it reopens on Saturday.
Technician Mohd Izzuddin Abdul Moez, 26, wants to take his two-year-old son to the zoo.
Mohd Izzuddin plans to take his son to the refurbished Johor Zoo.
“Johor Zoo holds so many memories for me, growing up in Gelang Patah, as it is one of the most affordable places to bring the whole family in the Johor Baru area.
“Even though the distance between my hometown and the zoo was quite far, it never stopped my parents from taking me there when I was a child.”
Mohd Izzuddin said the last time he visited Johor Zoo was about four years ago.
“After the movement control order, I had expected the zoo to reopen but it was closed for three years for upgrades.
“I am really excited to see what is new inside the zoo. And now that I am a father, I want to take my son to the zoo often to create good memories with him.”
He added that he was most keen to see the zoo’s two tigers.
College student K. Nirmalkumar, 19, said the last time he went to the Johor Zoo was about 10 years ago.
Nirmalkumar is excited about going to the zoo with his cousins.
He has a lot of fond memories associated with the zoo, including having his arm being pulled by a monkey.
“I was standing near the enclosure while eating peanuts and my mother had told me not to stand so close.
“I did not listen to her and suddenly, one of the monkeys grabbed my arm.
“It was really strong and did not want to let go.
“I started to panic and scream,” he said.
The monkey finally released his arm after getting some peanuts and Nirmalkumar remembered how he immediately received a scolding from his mother.
“Now that the zoo is set to reopen, my family is planning to go there during the school holidays in September.
“There will be about 20 of us and I cannot wait to take my younger cousins who will be going there for the first time,” he added.
Another college student, Goh Pey Sin, 18, said despite being born and raised in Johor Baru, she and her twin sister had never been to Johor Zoo.
“I have never been fond of big animals because they scare me.
Goh says she is now keen to visit the zoo with family members.
“I am more into small creatures like small birds, cats and dogs. But there has been a lot of talk about the reopening of Johor Zoo, which makes me want to visit.”
Pey Sin said her younger brother, who is in secondary school, was fond of animals and would want to see the wildlife.
“A visit to the zoo will surely be a good outing for my family.
“It will be good for us to take a break from our busy schedules to spend more time with each other,” she said.
The 96-year-old Johor Zoo is the oldest zoo in Malaysia.
There are currently 275 animals of 53 species, including mammals, reptiles and birds.
