I visited the Melaka Zoo on 29 September when in town. I had heard it was a pretty good zoo with a large collection -- a recent press release put them at 530 species, a grossly-overblown figure as it turned out because I counted less than 180 species on the premises (species lists will be posted after the review). It is quite a large zoo and not too bad at all, certainly amongst the better zoos in Asia. When I was walking around I was thinking it was better than the Zoo Negara in Kuala Lumpur but I haven't been there since 2006 so its hardly a fair thing to say without direct comparison. Having said that though, there are rather a lot of "bad" cages scattered throughout the grounds. Nothing exemplifies the hit-and-miss quality of the husbandry better than the primates, the enclosures of which range from lushly-planted islands that blend seemlessly into the surrounding gardens (I actually thought one siamang was loose when approaching its island from a low angle so the narrow moat was hidden to me) through to ugly metal domes with little inside, looking much like giant versions of those mesh covers one puts over food to keep off the flies. Two extremes pictured here http://www.zoochat.com/652/white-handed-gibbon-island-246290/ and here http://www.zoochat.com/652/black-capped-capuchin-cage-246287/ The worst cages by far are those in the Small Mammal and Small Carnivore houses. These two houses are identical, being a rectangular central building for staff access with five outside cages along each long side (so ten cages per house). The cages are small and concrete with a sort of moulded concrete shelf at the back and some branches in the middle. A few had substrate, most were bare concrete. They were fronted with a heavy squarish mesh with quite small holes, behind which were two overlapping layers of even smaller mesh, presumably in order to prevent people pushing their fingers through and getting bitten. The effect for me was like trying to take photographs through a wicker chair!! The Small Mammal house displayed a pair of really angry-looking bobcats, a pair of Asiatic brush-tailed porcupines, a pair of leopard cats, a very sad baby banded leaf monkey, a baby albino crab-eating macaque, a binturong, a masked palm civet, four slow loris, a black giant squirrel (R. bicolor), and a common raccoon that appeared to be suffering a lot in the heat (although it did have water). The Small Carnivore house displayed several masked palm civets, a common palm civet, a Malayan civet, a leopard cat (the cage was empty and the sign said "off-display"), a pair of small-clawed otters, what looked like a very dead domestic ferret, and a flat-headed cat. There's no excuse for cooping up animals in little concrete boxes but really this is typical of how many zoos worldwide keep small mammals. It does really annoy me! The attitude seems to be that because the animal's not very big it doesn't need much room; its even worse if the animal is nocturnal -- say a civet or a porcupine -- because it's asleep all day so gets shoved into an even smaller box than a similarly-sized monkey (for example) would be. There are innumerable examples of this from western zoos in the USA and Europe. http://www.zoochat.com/652/cage-bobcats-lynx-rufus-246311/ Anyway, rant over.... The Melaka Zoo is really easy to negotiate because almost all the enclosures are arranged along the road that loops around the zoo perimeter. Really the only thing you need to make a major detour for is the Taman Mini Safari in the centre of the zoo which is a reasonably large area of land traversed by a raised walkway. There's no signage in here apart for one warning that the giraffes may bite, so I'm not sure of exactly what's in here. I saw two giraffes, about five zebras, three female nyala, and a few sambar resting in the shade under the walkway. The photoshopped poster outside the entrance depicts giraffe, zebra, gemsbok and Malayan tapir but I think that is just generic advertising. Because the MIni Safari is off the main route I did it last after roaming around the rest of the zoo, and I'm glad I returned for it because right by the entrance is a big dirt-filled terrarium housing three bamboo rats (Rhizomys sumatrensis) which are absolutely fantastic creatures, the sort of rodent George Lucas would have come up with. http://www.zoochat.com/652/large-bamboo-rat-rhizomys-sumatrensis-246337/ http://www.zoochat.com/652/large-bamboo-rat-rhizomys-sumatrensis-246338/ The zoo is heavy on African hoofstock and Asian animals, and apart for the randoms scattered around is arranged roughly in taxonomic categories, going clockwise from the entrance African and Asian ungulates, then ratites, then big cats, birds, primates, more hoofstock, dogs (grey wolf and dhole), then the Small Mammal, Small Carnivore and Reptile Houses. This latter is basically a row of glass-fronted terrariums for elephant-trunk snake (A. javanicus), blood python, albino Burmese python, reticulated python, anaconda, common iguana and spectacled caiman. Elsewhere in the zoo are estuarine crocodiles and false gharial. There is also a Tortoise Garden by the primates, housing a variety of chelonians in large pens (see the species lists in following posts). Among the more interesting animals in the paddocks are (huge!) Malaysian gaur, Bawean hog deer and southern serow. Otherwise there are a lot of very standard zoo ungulates like nilgai, Ankole cattle, barasingha, etc. The zoo exhibits a lot of birds, mostly Asian species. Most of the individual aviaries, arranged in clusters, are small and wedge-shaped so that they fit together in circles like orange segments. They are ugly and nowhere near big enough to be housing the hornbills and pheasants that they do. http://www.zoochat.com/652/hornbill-aviaries-246266/ The parrot cages are somewhat better but unfortunately rather crowded. The palm cockatoo aviary held seven individuals, and another was an interesting mix of citron-crested, Goffin's, blue-eyed and Ducorp's cockatoos. Where the zoo does do well with avian exhibitry is with their walk-through aviaries. The first is not far from the zoo entrance and is divided in three parts, two on either side and one in the middle. The middle section doesn't have much in it -- just some mandarin ducks, common iguanas, a yellow-streaked lory and two black lories -- but the other two parts are more interesting. The right half (pictured here http://www.zoochat.com/652/interior-one-walk-through-aviaries-246219/) has painted storks, green peafowl and two lemurs labelled as white-fronted lemurs (they were both asleep in their box so hard to see, but they didn't look like that species to me); there was also supposed to be a binturong in here but I didn't see any sign of it. There is a glass-fronted enclosure attached which is for red panda; the sign on the front said "sorry, animal off exhibit" but judging by the filthy state of the glass I'd say its been a very long time indeed since the animal was on exhibit. The other half of this aviary had island flying foxes (P. hypomelanus), at least one lesser mouse deer and two buffy fish owls, which seemed a rather risky mix. The ring-tailed lemurs were supposed to be in here too, but on my visit were confined inside a glass-fronted cage that was the duplicate of the red panda one. Nearby is the Mouse Deer Park which is another walk-through aviary, rather sparsely planted but attractive nevertheless, and very large (http://www.zoochat.com/652/inside-mouse-deer-park-246226/). Apart for the several greater mouse deer in here, there were also demoiselle cranes, great argus, blue peafowl and various pigeons etc. The main bird section has two walk-throughs (with large bird of prey aviaries stretching between the two). One is for water birds (http://www.zoochat.com/652/interior-walk-through-waterbird-aviary-246263/), including a lot of painted and yellow-billed storks amongst others; the other (http://www.zoochat.com/652/interior-walk-through-passerine-aviary-246264/) has a hefty list of Asian passerines and pigeons (see species lists in following posts) although I will admit I didn't stay in here long because the top of the aviary was covered in vines which made the heat inside extremely oppressive and I'd also seen most of the species in the wild already. The best by far of the walk-throughs wasn't even depicted on the zoo map and had no signs pointing to it -- the bird of paradise aviary! Right by the giraffes and lechwe, rather out of place both taxonomically and zoogeographically, this was a startling gem to stumble across unexpected. As well as a few other choice birds such as Bali mynah, Malaysian peacock-pheasant and crested wood partridge, this extremely attractive and well-planted aviary held at least four male red birds of paradise; about three male lesser birds of paradise and three or four of what I assumed to be young males but I saw one being courted by a full-plumaged male so they may have been females; two male twelve-wired birds of paradise; and a single male king bird of paradise. A truly spectacular mix and I spent quite some time in here trying to get photographs. There were no birds of paradise elsewhere in the zoo so I don't know if they have off-display breeding aviaries or if these were all surplus males from somewhere else. So that's the Melaka Zoo. Like most zoos worldwide a mix of standard and less-common animal species, good and bad enclosures. I would certainly recommend visiting if you're in the area. I do think I would probably rate it higher than your average foreign visitor would, simply because I've been to many really bad Asian zoos. There was a tourist couple outside the zoo at the bus stop when I was leaving and they sort of raised their eyebrows when I said I liked the zoo. I think they may have been of a different opinion! Its obviously popular with the locals though, and there was a near-constant stream of school groups entering the grounds with buses lined up on the road outside waiting to take them back to school afterwards. There are a lot more photos in the gallery than just the ones linked to in this post: Melaka Zoo Gallery
FULL SPECIES LIST FOR MELAKA ZOO (scientific names only included if there could be confusion) MAMMALS: Black giant squirrel (Ratufa bicolor) Prevost's squirrel Malayan porcupine (Hystrix brachyura) Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine (Atherurus macrourus) Bamboo rat (Rhizomys sumatrensis) Capybara Slow loris Ring-tailed lemur White-fronted lemur (according to signage) Brown lemur Black and white ruffed lemur Pigmy marmoset Common marmoset Squirrel monkey Black-capped capuchin Black spider monkey Banded leaf monkey (a single baby one) Pig-tailed macaque Crab-eating macaque (a single albino baby one) Stump-tailed macaque Mandrill Bornean gibbon Agile gibbon White-handed gibbon Siamang Orangutan (which species not labelled) Common chimpanzee (off display on my visit) Island flying fox (Pteropus hypomelanus) Red panda (did not see, and I suspect no longer in the collection) Common raccoon Binturong Masked palm civet Common palm civet Malayan civet (Viverra tangalunga) Domestic ferret (appeared to be dead) Small-clawed otter Grey wolf Dhole Sun bear Bobcat Leopard cat Flat-headed cat Clouded leopard Leopard Malayan tiger African lion Miniature horse regular-sized horse Przewalski's horse Common zebra White rhino Malayan tapir Giraffe Southern serow Malayan gaur Banteng Ankole cattle Nilgai Nyala Red lechwe (on the zoo map labelled as Kafue Flats lechwe, on the enclosure as Red lechwe: photo here http://www.zoochat.com/652/lechwe-kobus-leche-246218/) Blue wildebeest Sambar Rusa Barasingha Axis deer Bawean hog deer Common muntjac Lesser mouse deer Greater mouse deer [on the zoo leaflet map Camel was labelled, and on the signboard maps in the zoo grounds there were labels for Fallow deer and Scimitar-horned oryx, but none of these were apparent on my visit] Asian elephant BIRDS: Ostrich Common rhea Emu Common cassowary White pelican Milky stork Painted stork Yellow-billed stork Demoiselle crane Sarus crane Grey heron Purple heron Cattle egret African spoonbill Greater flamingo Purple gallinule White-breasted waterhen Green peafowl Blue peafowl Red junglefowl Great argus Malaysian peacock-pheasant Lady Amherst's pheasant Silver pheasant Crested fireback Crestless fireback Crested wood partridge (Roulroul) Mute swan (did not see) Chinese goose Mandarin duck Lesser whistling duck (did not see) White-bellied sea eagle Changeable hawk-eagle Black eagle Crested serpent-eagle [the bird of prey aviaries were pretty large but very dark and shaded so I can't vouch for the accuracy of the labelling for the above species] Brahminy kite Black-shouldered kite Green-winged macaw Scarlet macaw (did not see) Blue and gold macaw Indian ringneck Lovebirds (masked and peach-faced, and various mutations) Cockatiel Palm cockatoo Greater sulphur-crested cockatoo Citron-crested cockatoo Goffin's cockatoo Blue-eyed cockatoo Ducorp's cockatoo Eclectus Yellow-streaked lory Black lory [got a glimpse of Red lory in an off-display aviary also] Pied imperial pigeon Green imperial pigeon Mountain imperial pigeon Nicobar pigeon Jambu fruit dove Little green pigeon Large green pigeon Thick-billed green pigeon Pink-necked green pigeon Victoria crowned pigeon Blue crowned pigeon Spot-necked dove Emerald dove Zebra dove Buffy fish owl Spotted wood owl Barred eagle owl Rhinoceros hornbill Great hornbill White-crowned hornbill Southern pied hornbill Malayan black hornbill White-rumped shama Silver-eared mesia Stripe-throated bulbul Straw-headed bulbul Red-whiskered bulbul Black-naped oriole Brahminy starling Asian glossy starling Common mynah Jungle mynah Hill mynah Bali mynah Red bird of paradise Lesser bird of paradise Twelve-wired bird of paradise King bird of paradise REPTILES: Elephant-trunk snake (Acrochordus javanicus) Blood python albino Burmese python Reticulated python Anaconda Common iguana Burmese brown tortoise (Manouria emys) Painted turtle (Callagur borneoensis) Giant river turtle (Batagur baska) Asian leaf turtle (Cyclemys dentata) Malayan box turtle (Cuora amboinensis) Red-eared terrapin (Trachemys scripta) Spectacled caiman Estuarine crocodile False gharial
WALK-THROUGH AVIARY SPECIES: Mixed Walk-through near entrance: Painted stork Mandarin duck Green peafowl Yellow-streaked lory Black lory Buffy fish owl Ring-tailed lemur White-fronted lemur (according to the labelling) Red panda (off display) Binturong (did not see this one) Island flying fox Lesser mouse deer Common iguana Malayan box turtle Mouse Deer Park: Demoiselle crane Lesser whistling duck (did not see this one) Blue peafowl Great argus Red junglefowl Pied imperial pigeon (not labelled on the signage) Green imperial pigeon Nicobar pigeon (did not see this one) Victoria crowned pigeon (labelled as Blue crowned pigeon, which they did have elsewhere in the zoo) Zebra dove (not labelled on the signage) Hill mynah (not labelled on the signage) Greater mouse deer Water Birds: Painted stork Yellow-billed stork Cattle egret (not labelled on the signage) Grey heron Purple heron African spoonbill Purple gallinule White-breasted waterhen Asian passerines and pigeons: (all these just from the signage because I didn't spend long in here) Green peafowl Spot-necked dove Zebra dove Emerald dove Pink-necked green pigeon Little green pigeon Large green pigeon Thick-billed green pigeon Jambu fruit dove Nicobar pigeon Mountain imperial pigeon Green imperial pigeon Pied imperial pigeon Black-naped oriole Asian fairy bluebird Red-whiskered bulbul Straw-headed bulbul Stripe-throated bulbul Silver-eared mesia White-rumped shama Asian glossy starling Hill mynah Jungle mynah Common mynah [I did see some Indian ringneck parakeets in here as well, which weren't on the signage] Bird Of Paradise Aviary: Malaysian peacock-pheasant Great argus Crested wood partridge (Roulroul) Zebra dove (did not see) Little green pigeon (did not see) Green imperial pigeon (did not see) Pied imperial pigeon (not labelled on the signage) Brahminy starling (not labelled on the signage) Bali mynah Hill mynah (not labelled on the signage) Red bird of paradise Lesser bird of paradise Twelve-wired bid of paradise King bird of paradise
Wow. That is a fantastic review of a zoo that I've never heard of. Thanks so much. The species lists are quite impressive too. There are a lot of primates in particular.
Great review and species list. Melaka is my choice for the best zoo in Peninsular Malaysia. The lechwe are likely Kafue lechwe. Does it not have elephants anymore?
they do indeed have elephants. I'm not quite sure how they got left off the list, but they are on there now
Really enjoyed this and your other very well written zoo and travel reviews, also the photos of some rare and unusual species. They are among the best Zoo reviews that i've read, even including published works. Will follow your further travels and reviews with great interest.
thanks very much. After all, there's no point writing them if nobody's interested in reading them, so I do my best.
Thanks for the review, and species lists! I always enjoy the lists of species in mixed exhibits. Some of them can be pretty interesting.
It would be nice to have a zoo news section for Zoo Melaka. This thread is rather old in itself and I cannot see that nothing has been happening here for 8+ years. However, all praise to Chlidonias for putting in the effort for a full species list here! I am generally too pre-occupied by other interesting things happening at a zoo to do so ... Know your own failings.
