KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 — The awareness of society to help Zoo Negara (National Zoo) to remain operational and its animals well looked after is at a high level following the flood of contributions in the form of cash and food supply.
Zoo Negara’s Zoology, Veterinary and Giant Panda Conservation Centre director Dr Mat Naim Ramli said that as a result of the contributions Zoo Negara could cut down on its expenditure while the rest were the contributed by the concerned public. .
‘’Zoo Negara spends RM350,000 on food monthly. But, this month, we are spending only RM50,000. We receive contributions in kind such as vegetables and 2.5 tonnes of meat worth about RM300,000.
‘’Meaning, we save (funds) as we don’t have to pay, and we hope it (boon) will continue in May. We already have enough chicken and meat, namely, 4.5 tonnes, for April,’’ he said when met at a public sanitation operation conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) with four other agencies at Zoo Negara today.
He thanked the public who empathised with the staff and the animals in Zoo Negara by extending a helping hand.
Meanwhile, he said Zoo Negara was in a good condition as the personnel were spending a lot of time with the animals and unhampered by visitors which would also enable a more effective monitoring of the health of the staff and animals.
Currently, he said Zoo Negara was receiving aid from the government until December with a ‘bit of allocation’ which would enable the zoo to be operational without visitors for the next three to four more months.
When asked on the development of the ‘Adopt An Animal Campaign’, he said RM2 million had been collected thus far.
He said 80 of the 140 personnel at Zoo Negara were currently working involving those in zoology and in maintaining the zoo.
Zoo Negara needs about RM850,000 to pay the salary of its staff, food (RM350,00), electricity bill (RM140,000) and water bill (RM40,000) every month, he said. — Bernama
