ZOOCHECK

Zoo Negeri Johor, Malaysia.Throughout Asia, many thousands of animals languish in appalling conditions in substandard zoos. Acres tries, wherever possible, to work together with the management of these zoos and discuss ways to improve the welfare of the animals.
Read on for an account of wholly substandard zoo that is situated just a few miles from Singapore. Acres is trying to help the animals there.

Life behind bars at Zoo Negeri Johor, Malaysia.Imagine a zoo where the primates are begging, reaching their hands out of the cages asking for food. Imagine a zoo where the animals are constantly displaying abnormal stereotypic behaviours. Imagine a zoo where enclosures are so filthy that a stench reeks from the enclosures. Imagine a zoo where animals are housed in enclosures resembling wells. Imagine a zoo where animals are housed in enclosures so small that the size is barely 0.001 percent the size of their natural homes.

Does a zoo like this exist? Does it have a place or any role in our society today? Since 2001, with the help of the International Primate Protection League (IPPL), Acres has been investigating Zoo Negeri Johor in Malaysia. The conditions for the animals are far from acceptable and are, in fact, appalling. The paragraph above aptly describes the living conditions.

Toney the chimpanzees' storyFor almost 30 years, Toney, a female chimpanzee lived in a small, barren cage at Zoo Negeri, Johor. In about 1995, her male partner died and she then lived a solitary life for many years until a new cage mate was acquired. While she was living in the cage, a behavioural study was conducted on her and the results proved beyond doubt that she was suffering each day she was kept in these conditions. She displayed a wide range of abnormal stereotypic behaviours repeatedly. These ranged from eating her faeces to regurgitating her food to rocking and swaying. These behaviours are clearly an indication of an abnormal animal-environment interaction. For most wild mammals in captivity, this probably means that the animal grew up in or is currently living in an environment suboptimal for meeting its natural, species-specific behavioural needs.

Since 2001, things have improved slightly for Toney. Toney was finally moved out of the cage into a larger enclosure. However, she now lives in a pit. The zoo also acquired a new male chimpanzee who now shares the enclosure with her. While this may be an improvement in her living conditions and might stimulate some social activity, Toney’s living conditions are still far from ideal.

New animals, old abusesIt is highly questionable whether the zoo should import any new animals when conditions remain unacceptable for all of the animals currently at the zoo. Any available funds should be directed to improving the existing enclosures to meet an acceptable standard before the import of any new animals.

However, since 2001, the zoo has brought in countless new animals including an orang utan, a siamang, a capuchin, a gibbon, Malayan sun bears, macaques and a large number of other animals. These animals are once again housed in appalling conditions. A new infant gibbon seen in 2001, for example, was housed in a cage measuring approximately 0.5 metres by 0.5 metres. This infant was far from the weaning age but was no longer with her mother. She was now living a solitary life.

Animals used for entertainmentZoo Negeri Johor also exploits the animals for entertainment purposes. A lion has been seen being used for photography sessions. Baby gibbons and other animals such as shy, nocturnal slow lorises who are confined in small cages in the blazing sun have also been seen to be used as ‘photo props’. Infant pig-tailed macaques and long-tailed macaques and even young Malayan sun bears are chained to the ground for visitors to touch and tease. Visitors can cuddle and take photos with all these animals upon request. These macaques, gibbons and several other primates and also the bear cubs are far from the weaning age and should be with their mothers.

ARCES work.