Spotlight on the big cat: Wild turkeys enter the area where Rais (in green) stands after the launch of World Tiger Day at Melaka Zoo.
MELAKA: The Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) should consider having Melaka Zoo as the centre of Malayan tiger conservation and rehabilitation efforts, says state executive councillor Datuk Rais Yasin.
The zoo once had a captive-bred programme for the Malayan tiger, said Rais, who is state housing and local government, climate change and disaster management committee chairman.
“So, I have requested Perhilitan to look into reviving the zoo as a Malayan tiger conservation site by providing its expertise in animal care,” he told reporters after launching World Tiger Day at the zoo yesterday.
Also present were Hang Tuah Jaya Municipal Council president Datin Sapiah Haron and Melaka Perhilitan director Petra Sulai.
Rais said the state was committed to spearheading the conservation and preservation of the Malayan tiger and that there were only four of them in the zoo.
“These tigers would go into extinction if there are no exceptional conservation efforts and commitment.
“We must not forget that the Malayan tiger is a symbol of our nation’s Jata Negara (coat of arms). We can’t let it go extinct,” he added.
Rais also said that a safari was in the pipeline as an added attraction in Melaka Zoo.
The proposed safari, he said, would occupy a 220ha site and incorporate the nearby Ayer Keroh Aviary Park as part of a package.He added that groundbreaking for the project was expected to be held early next year in view of Visit Melaka Year 2024.
On another note, Rais said there were four Malayan sun bears in Melaka Zoo.
The Malayan sun bear earns its name from the bright golden patch on its chest.
It is the smallest member of the bear family and can be found in the dense lowland forests of South-East Asia.
