Zoo Name: | National Zoo Zoo Negara |
Location: | Ulu Klang, Gombak, Selangor, Malaysia |
Area: | 110acres |
Num Animals: | 5137 |
Num Species: | 476 |
Members: | ISO 9001:2008, SEAZA |
Exhibits: | 16 major exhibits |
Annual Visitors 2017: | Below 400,000 visitors |
Breakeven Visitor Needed: | At least 500,000 visitors |
The National Zoo (Malay: Zoo Negara) is a Malaysian zoo located on 110acres of land in Ulu Klang, Gombak District, Selangor, Malaysia. It was officially opened on November 14, 1963, by the country's first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman.[1] The zoo is managed by a non-governmental organization known as the Malaysian Zoological Society and is home to 5,137 animals of 476 different species.[2] It received MS ISO 9001:2008 certification in July 2007 and is a member of the South East Asian Zoos Association (SEAZA). The president and chairman of the zoo is Y. Bhg. Dato' Ismail Hutson.
In 1957, the Malayan Agri-Horticultural Association (MAHA) opened a miniature zoo. After the creation of the miniature zoo, the idea of a proper zoo gradually gained momentum, and the federal government chose a spot in Ulu Klang, Selangor, next to the border of Kuala Lumpur. In the 1960s, Ulu Klang was an undeveloped green area. In 1963, the first prime minister of Malaya (now Malaysia), Yang Teramat Mulia (YTM) Tunku Abdul Rahman, opened the zoo to the public. Zoo Negara was known as the "Zoo in the Jungle" due to the lush vegetation that dominated the region.
The zoo welcomed its millionth visitor on 14 November 1966, just three years after opening, and by 1986, the zoo was attracting over 1 million visitors per year.
The zoo remained surrounded by dense tropical forests until the late 1970s when Kuala Lumpur experienced rapid population growth fueled by an economic boom. Nearby Ulu Klang was targeted for large-scale residential development to accommodate the expanding urban population, resulting in habitat loss in formerly wild areas surrounding the zoo.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, there were plans to move the zoo to other locations in Selangor. However, the plans were largely unpopular among the public as they were seen as an effort by some developers to capitalize on the value of the zoo's large land. With support from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the [Selangor] State Government, it was decided not to relocate the zoo.
There are 16 exhibits in the zoo.
The Reptile Park has both indoor and outdoor exhibits and includes saltwater crocodiles, false gharials, and dwarf crocodiles. It also exhibits tortoises and terrapins, including Aldabra giant tortoises (the second largest tortoise species in the world) and local Tutong or river terrapins. Snakes in the collection include green anacondas, reticulated pythons, and many venomous and non-venomous snakes.
The Amphibian World Center at the Reptile Park has a variety of frogs and toads that originate from various habitats in Malaysia.
Giant Panda Conservation Centre
In 2014, a male and female giant panda pair named Xing Xing and Liang Liang went on public display at an air-conditioned, purpose-built Giant Panda Conservation Centre next to tram stop T5. The pandas are on a 10-year loan to Malaysia. On 26 May 2018, Yi Yi, a four-month-old female panda, went on show for the first time. The cub is the second born in Malaysia. The cub's sister, Nuan Nuan, was born in August 2015 and sent back to China in 2017 as part of Beijing's agreement with Malaysia that cubs born in captivity must be sent back to China at the age of two.[3] A third giant panda cub was born at Malaysia Zoo in June, 2021.[4]
The zoo is home to three Asian elephants: Siti (a female born in 1979 in Fraser's Hill), Sibol (a female born in 1978 at Temerloh), and Teriang (a male born in 1980 in Teriang, after which he is named). The trio have been in the zoo since they were very young.
Among the insects at the zoo are butterflies such as the Rajah Brooke's birdwing, tree nymph and Indian leafwing species, orchid and dead leaf mantises, man-faced stink bugs, tarantulas, Malaysian giant scorpions, and many more.
Zoo Negara has bred over 200 highly endangered milky storks. The zoo is currently working with the local Wildlife Department on a release program for these birds. Other breeding achievements include hornbills and the freshwater crocodile – false gharial.