KUALA LUMPUR: It is time for Zoo Negara to look into ways to gain more visitors including rebranding itself to keep up with the times, said Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr A. Xavier Jayakumar.
He said Zoo Negara has done quite well since its establishment although it is not doing well financially as it very much depended on ticket sales and sponsors.
“Zoo Negara needs to change as people and the sponsors have high expectations. Of course Zoo Negara is on a very tight budget, and we help whenever we can, but of late we have other priorities to look into. For me, Zoo Negara needs to reassess its position.
“So, there will be many parties taking part in discussions to turn around Zoo Negara and there are already some suggestions on the table as to how we should move forward,“ he said to Bernama after appearing as the guest of Bernama News Channel’s The Nation programme here today.
“We are very close with Singapore. They pride themselves with their zoo, night safari and the amount of facilities that they have for their tourists. So, the challenge for us is to be on par. We must have more sponsors to come forward in order to make sure we can improve,“ he said.
Meanwhile, Xavier also welcomed cooperation with neighbouring countries, especially Indonesia, in ensuring that conservation programmes on endangered animals run smoothly.
“So far, our conservation cooperation with Indonesia is to share information on Sumatran rhinos in Sabah, but in the future we can also cooperate in the conservation of elephants, orang utans and Malayan tiger which needed to be protected as well,“ he said.
Admitting that he is not happy with the condition of the last Sumatran rhino in the country, Xavier hoped the ongoing cooperation between both countries could have a positive impact on the conservation of the species.
“The only Sumatran rhino we have now is sick and we have yet to see any new Sumatran rhinos but in Indonesia they have quite a number. We encourage more cooperation with the country in order to share opinions and information for the future of this species,“ he said. — Bernama
