Zoo Melaka
Encyclopedia
Malacca Zoo is a 54 acres (21.9 ha) zoological park
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....

 located besides Lebuh Ayer Keroh
Lebuh Ayer Keroh
Lebuh Ayer Keroh, Federal Route , also known as Lebuhraya Ayer Keroh or Ayer Keroh Highway is the main dual-carriageway that connects the city of Melaka, Malaysia to the North-South Expressway via Ayer Keroh Interchange. Ayer Keroh, the main satellite town of Melaka is located along the road...

(Federal Route ) in the town of Ayer Keroh
Ayer Keroh
Ayer Keroh is a town situated in the state of Malacca, Malaysia.The town is a major tourist spot of the state, apart from the old Malacca Town, due to its recent hosting of various interesting attractions. The Mini Malaysia and Mini ASEAN Park is situated in the town...

 in the state of Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...

, Malaysia. More than 1200 animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...

s of 215 species can be found at the Malacca Zoo. It is the second-largest zoo in Malaysia behind the National Zoo of Malaysia (Zoo Negara). In 2007, along with the "Visit Malaysia
Tourism in Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in South-East Asia, located partly on a peninsula of the Asian mainland and partly on the northern third of the island of Borneo. West Malaysia shares a border with Thailand, is connected by a causeway and a bridge to the island state of Singapore, and has coastlines on the...

" campaign, Malacca Zoo was visited by 619,194 visitors; the highest number ever recorded.

History

The zoo was established in the year 1963, along with the National Zoo of Malaysia (Zoo Negara), but its management was later taken over by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks
Department of Wildlife and National Parks
In Malaysia, Department of Wildlife and National Parks, commonly known as PERHILITAN is a governmental organization that is responsible for the protection, management and preservation of wildlife and national parks in Peninsular Malaysia.The department was established under the Wildlife Protection...

 of Malaysia in 1979. This enhanced its operations and upgraded its services for the public’s benefit. It was used as a wildlife rescue base before it was opened to the public by the then Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Malaysia
The Prime Minister of Malaysia is the indirectly elected head of government of Malaysia. He is officially appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the head of state, who in HM's judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House of Representatives , the...

, Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohammad on August 13, 1987. Although it has long been opened to the public, its primary roles as a rescue base and an animal sanctuary remain unchanged. It now houses many bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...

s, amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...

s, reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...

s, mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...

s, insects, and is the second largest zoo behind the National Zoo in Ulu Klang
Ulu Klang
Ulu Klang is a popular residential area in Klang Valley, Selangor, Malaysia. Several landslides have occurred in this area, forcing people mainly living in flats to evacuate.-List of residential areas:*Bukit Antarabangsa*Villa Sri Ukay*Taman Hillview...

.

The Zoo

Malacca Zoo was the first zoo in Malaysia to exhibit the critically endangered Sumatran Rhinoceros
Sumatran Rhinoceros
The Sumatran Rhinoceros is a member of the family Rhinocerotidae and one of five extant rhinoceroses. It is the only extant species of the genus Dicerorhinus. It is the smallest rhinoceros, although is still a large mammal. This rhino stands high at the shoulder, with a head-and-body length of ...

. It also houses overseas as well as local beauties such as the White Rhinoceros
White Rhinoceros
The White Rhinoceros or Square-lipped rhinoceros is one of the five species of rhinoceros that still exist. It has a wide mouth used for grazing and is the most social of all rhino species...

, Asian Elephants, Red Panda
Red Panda
The red panda , is a small arboreal mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It is the only species of the genus Ailurus. Slightly larger than a domestic cat, it has reddish-brown fur, a long, shaggy tail, and a waddling gait due to its shorter front legs...

, Malaysian Gaur
Gaur
The gaur , also called Indian bison, is a large bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. The species is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986 as the population decline in parts of the species' range is likely to be well over 70% over the last three generations...

, the Serow
Serow
Serow may refer to:*Three species of Asian ungulate in the genus Capricornis**Japanese Serow**Mainland Serow**Taiwan Serow* Serow, Iran, a city in Urmia County, West Azarbaijan Province, Iran*Alternative spelling of Serov...

, the Squirrel Monkey
Squirrel monkey
The squirrel monkeys are the New World monkeys of the genus Saimiri. They are the only genus in the subfamily Saimirinae.Squirrel monkeys live in the tropical forests of Central and South America in the canopy layer. Most species have parapatric or allopatric ranges in the Amazon, while S...

, the Molurus Python, the Grey Wolf, the Mongolian Wild Horse, the Green Tree Python
Green Tree Python
Morelia viridis, the green tree python, is a species of python found in New Guinea, islands in Indonesia, and Cape York Peninsula in Australia.-Description:Adults average in length, with a maximum length of about 7 feet...

, the Giraffe
Giraffe
The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all extant land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant...

, the Blue-and-yellow Macaw
Blue-and-yellow Macaw
The Blue-and-Yellow Macaw , also known as the Blue-and-Gold Macaw, is a member of the group of large Neotropical parrots known as macaws. It breeds in forest and woodland of tropical South America from Trinidad and Venezuela south to Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay...

 and also the Indochinese Tiger
Indochinese Tiger
The Indochinese tiger or Corbett's tiger is a subspecies of tiger found in Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam and formerly in China. Tigers in peninsular Malaysia, formerly classified as Indochinese, have recently been reclassified as a separate subspecies, Malayan tiger Panthera tigris...

 as well as the Malayan Tiger
Malayan Tiger
The Malayan tiger is a tiger subspecies that inhabits the southern and central parts of the Malay Peninsula and has been classified as endangered by IUCN in 2008 as the population was estimated at 493 to 1,480 adult individuals in 2003; none of the three subpopulations likely harbors more than 250...



Malacca Zoo is now a famous attraction in Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...

 and are listed in many official tourism websites. Now, it is visited annually by 400,000 visitors; averaging 1093 visitors a day. Although, in 2007, the zoo was visited by 619,194 visitors with an average of 1619 visitors per day; the highest number since it was opened. In that year, the zoo collected as much as RM 3.99 million (USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

 886,666); collecting a gain of RM 130,000. It also maintains a healthy, cool green background by planting exotic
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...

 and rare plants while labeling them. This can potentially cool the zoo in very hot days and symbolically mimics the rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...

. It also has a tram facility
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...

 to help its visitors get from one place to another with the ticket prices as low as RM
Ringgit
Ringgit mostly refers to the Malaysian ringgit, which is the local currency in Malaysia, but it can also refer to the Brunei dollar or Singapore dollar in the Malay language. The word ringgit was originally used to refer to the serrated edges of Spanish silver dollars widely circulated in the area...

 2.00. In addition to that, it also has eating facilities at an A&W
A&W Restaurants
A&W Restaurants, Inc., is a chain of fast-food restaurants, distinguished by its draft root beer and root beer floats. A&W was arguably the first successful food franchise company, starting franchises in 1921 in California. Today it has franchise locations throughout the world, serving a typical...

 restaurant and a cafeteria
Cafeteria
A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...

 near the watch tower at the Mini Safari.

Breeding plans

The zoo is planning some programmes to ensure the survival of some endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...

. Some of them are captive breeding
Captive breeding
Captive breedingis the process of breeding animals in human controlled environments with restricted settings, such as wildlife reserves, zoos and other conservation facilities; sometimes the process is construed to include release of individual organisms to the wild, when there is sufficient...

.

Since the Malayan Tiger
Malayan Tiger
The Malayan tiger is a tiger subspecies that inhabits the southern and central parts of the Malay Peninsula and has been classified as endangered by IUCN in 2008 as the population was estimated at 493 to 1,480 adult individuals in 2003; none of the three subpopulations likely harbors more than 250...

 (Panthera Tigris Malayenis) was found as a tiger sub-species, the zoo had raised over 40 tiger cubs and sent them to various types of places such as the United States. Two of them was Mek Degong and its mate Awang Relak; Malayan Tiger
Malayan Tiger
The Malayan tiger is a tiger subspecies that inhabits the southern and central parts of the Malay Peninsula and has been classified as endangered by IUCN in 2008 as the population was estimated at 493 to 1,480 adult individuals in 2003; none of the three subpopulations likely harbors more than 250...

s that were sent to San Diego Zoo
San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, is one of the most progressive zoos in the world, with over 4,000 animals of more than 800 species...

 in 2004. Besides that, it is also been used as a captured animal sanctuary for a temporary time until it is sent locally or abroad.

Attractions

Some other attractions at the zoo includes:
  • A Mini Safari
  • A Multi-Animal show
  • An Elephant
    Elephant
    Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...

     Show
  • Elephant & Horse rides
  • A Souvenir shop at the exit
  • Night Zoo

Location

The Zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....

 is located in the town of Ayer Keroh
Ayer Keroh
Ayer Keroh is a town situated in the state of Malacca, Malaysia.The town is a major tourist spot of the state, apart from the old Malacca Town, due to its recent hosting of various interesting attractions. The Mini Malaysia and Mini ASEAN Park is situated in the town...

 besides the Lebuh Ayer Keroh
Lebuh Ayer Keroh
Lebuh Ayer Keroh, Federal Route , also known as Lebuhraya Ayer Keroh or Ayer Keroh Highway is the main dual-carriageway that connects the city of Melaka, Malaysia to the North-South Expressway via Ayer Keroh Interchange. Ayer Keroh, the main satellite town of Melaka is located along the road...

 at the entrance of Melaka; 13 Kilometres from Malacca Town
Malacca Town
Most tourist attractions are concentrated in its small city centre which encompasses Jonker Walk which houses Malacca's traditional Chinatown that exhibits Peranakan architecture. A Famosa Fort, St. Paul Hill are among the tourist attractions located in the Bandar Hilir, old city area. There are...

. It neighbors with the Ayer Keroh Crocodile Farm, Melaka International Trade Center
Melaka International Trade Center
The Malacca International Trade Center is a convention center situated in Ayer Keroh, a small town in the state of Malacca, Malaysia. It is officially launched on June 2003 by Mohammad Ali bin Rustam, the Chief Minister of Malacca...

, Kolej Yayasan Saad
Kolej Yayasan Saad
Kolej Yayasan Saad , also known as Saad Foundation College , is a private, fully residential school founded by Tan Sri Halim bin Saad in 1995. It was built as a tribute to the memory of his late father. The college is located at Ayer Keroh, Melaka...

, Melaka Manipal Medical College
Melaka Manipal Medical College
Melaka Manipal Medical College is a Malaysian private medical college which offers 2 twinning undergraduate degrees, the Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery degree and also the Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree...

. From the highway, it has a noticeable gate in the Minangkabau design.

See also

  • Tourism in Malaysia
    Tourism in Malaysia
    Malaysia is a country in South-East Asia, located partly on a peninsula of the Asian mainland and partly on the northern third of the island of Borneo. West Malaysia shares a border with Thailand, is connected by a causeway and a bridge to the island state of Singapore, and has coastlines on the...

  • National Zoo of Malaysia (Zoo Negara)
  • Zoo Taiping

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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