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Melaka Zoo Melaka Zoo

Discussion in 'Malaysia' started by Nigel, 24 Jan 2008.

  1. Nigel

    Nigel Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    23 Jan 2004
    Posts:
    733
    Location:
    Wellington , New Zealand
    I have no knowledge as to whether the zoo officials here had any involvement in the Taiping 4 saga , so this thread is about the zoo itself

    I visited the zoo about 17 years ago , and at that point it was a fairly good zoo albeit the vegetation hadnt had much chance to mature .
    Since then , it has turned into a luxuriant leafy zoo with heaps of shade for its inhabitants .
    It is quite a large zoo in area , located beside a lake on the outskirts of Melaka

    However , I was somewhat disappointed to see the lack of improvements for the animals benefit ( which Taiping Zoo stood out ) The majority of enclosures could have easily been enlarged , even if only a little bit . There was heaps of unused land next to the majority of enclosures .
    There is a main roadway that goes around the zoo in the shape of a big sausage , and smaller pathways go off that to various exhibits . The middle of the zoo is an undeveloped core , that probably has service areas ( it is out of bounds for the general public )
    Good points included ; a large animal hospital , a good big cat exhibit , a large collection of numerous cattle exhibits , more elephant enrichment than found in other Malaysian Zoos ,( but see below for another issue ) and long term plans to try to keep Malaysian tiger from extinction by way of a neighbouring sanctuary .
    Negative points included ; a circus that had high volume sound ( I never went into the circus during show time ) small mammals building that is a disgrace in all areas , an elephant that had a suspicious head wound , possibly from angkus misuse , and a nearly empty reptile house .
    Alot of the cattle enclosures were turned to mud , but then thats quite common in a country that has heavy downpours on every second day .....
    As far as the zoo was concerned ( not the directors ) Melaka Zoo is approx on the same par as Taiping Zoo

    The signage was somewhat faulty , with reference to a cat bear . This turned out to be what appeared to be a binturong ( I hadnt seen these until I was in Malaysia ) There was one in a walk through aviary system . These appear to be common in malaysia Zoos , where they have several aviaries atteched to each other .

    Quote from a book about Melaka ;
    Established in 1963 , the second largest zoo in the country with 54 acres
    Over 1200 animals . It is also the transit zoo for animals being sent within Malaysia or abroad to other zoos , so there are stringent health checks on the animals The endangered Malayan tiger has been successfully bred at the zoo , and the zoo has provided Malayan tigers to San Diego , Leipzig and Singapore Zoos . In 1996 the SEAZA conference was held at the zoo .
    The zoo also functions as a research centre foor topics including disease research and patterns

    [email protected]

    Zoo Melaka
     
  2. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

    Joined:
    13 Jun 2007
    Posts:
    23,442
    Location:
    New Zealand
    bear-cat is a common alternative name for the binturong (more used in some countries than others). Cat-bear is/was a name used for the red panda, but the "cat" and the "bear" are often swapped round.
     
  3. docend24

    docend24 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    15 May 2008
    Posts:
    349
    Location:
    Prague
    I know Zoo Prague just got a young male tiger not directly from Melaka (but Lok Kawi Wildlife Park), but both of his parents were born in Melaka. Hopefully his bloodline will spread in Europe.
     
  4. dragon(ele)nerd

    dragon(ele)nerd Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    2 Apr 2008
    Posts:
    2,496
    Location:
    Melbourne, Australia
    I went to Taiping when I was young, about 6 I believe I had always hoped that the little zoo could become something magnificent one day, I think I very well could be wrong though,
    Melaka zoo, hmmmmmm, I have quite a few questions on the elephants in Melaka
    The other male with tusks, not Adun did he come from singapore zoo is his name Lasah and did he sire a calf over there? And is Muadzam still alive?