Malaysian Theme Parks Abusing Animals

Below is an article that appeared in the STAR today. This is why RSC has been repeatedly calling on Perhilitan to crack down on theme parks that abuse animals. (See our blog entry below on D-Paradise Resort in Alor Gajah and our other entry on A'Famosa in Melaka.)

Also notice that no where in the story does it say that Perhilitan took any legal action against the management of the theme park or why they are allowing them to continue to operate. If this calf was treated badly are the other animals at the theme park going to fare better?

I guess Perhilitan needs to meet their rescue quota once in awhile so they can look good for the cameras and Press. After all, they have to justify why tax payers money need to be spent on keeping Perhilitan in operation.

Naturally RSC wrote to the Press today about Amid's story below.


THE STAR, Thursday March 1, 2007

ZOO CARING FOR RESCUED CALF


By LEE YUK PENG and MARSHA TAN
MALACCA: Amid was a neglected, malnourished three-month-old elephant calf tied up cruelly at a theme park when he was rescued earlier this month.

Now, he has several caretakers at the zoo here who take turns feeding him milk, bread, oatmeal and glucose drinks many times a day. But it will take a year, at least, to get him back to normal.
Doing better: Zookeeper Hamdan Kamaruddin feeding Amid at the Malacca Zoo quarantine area on Wednesday. The calf’s shoulder blade can be seen clearly.“He's very much underweight compared to a normal elephant calf,” Malacca Zoo director Mohd Nawayai Yasak told The Star yesterday.

“We have put him under a treatment plan, which basically consists of multi-vitamins, to help increase his appetite to make up for the weight loss and this is likely to take up to one year.

Amid was a heart wrenching sight with his vertebrate jutting out and the clear outline of his ribcage showing under his hide.

In early February, the Wildlife Department confiscated the male calf from a theme park and handed him to the zoo.

“We do not know exactly what happened, but we believe that the herd of elephants which Amid belonged too was trying to cross a river to escape a flood when it was left behind.

“The currents were probably too strong for it to cross and the mother had to leave him behind. Such a scenario – a mother elephant leaving behind its calf – is rare,” said Mohd Nawayai.

He said the calf was most likely captured and later sold to the theme park, adding that the captors probably did not know how to tie the elephant, resulting in its neck being hurt.

He believes Amid’s mother is still alive because there had been no report of dead elephants or their carcasses.

Amid, who takes a bath twice a day, is the eighth elephant to join seven others at the zoo, including the three “performers”– Mahkota, Noni and Teh.

Amid is the second elephant calf sent to the Malacca Zoo after being seized. Rio was rescued by wildlife officers and sent to the zoo in March 2004.