KUALA LUMPUR: The Wildlife Welfare Caring Fund totaling RM468,890 has been channeled in stages to Taiping Zoo, Perak, between August and November this year.
Amid reports that the Taiping Zoo is expected to see a loss of about RM600,000 this year, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said short-term assistance was given to cover the cost of food and medicine of the wildlife there and for sanitation of the premises.
He said RM1.81 million was also channeled in November so that critical parts of Taiping Zoo could be fixed, such as the roof of the ticket counter and for the building of reptile cages.
"A further 15 per cent discount on monthly electricity bills for a period of six months was also given to the zoo, under the Economic Stimulus Package.
"Technical assistance was also given for husbandry management (at the zoo)," he said in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Shamsul said the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) had loaned a total of 125 wild animals worth RM1.1mil to the zoo since 2004 to help attract more visitors.
"A total of RM6.2mil and RM10mil were also given to the zoo under the 7th and 8th Malaysia Plan," he added.
Shamsul said the Wildlife Conservation Act 2020 was being reviewed to seek ways for zoos in the country to become more self-sufficient.
To that end, he said Perhilitan had held several consultation sessions with the Malaysian Association of Zoological Park and Aquaria (Mazpa) and zoo operators to review the Wildlife Conservation Act 2020 to develop a new model for zoo operators.
"The aim is to reduce zoo operators' dependence on the government and ensure that their operations will be strengthened and become more viable," he said.
Shamsul was responding to a question by Teh Kok Lim (Pakatan Harapan-Taiping) who asked about efforts being done by the ministry to assist the iconic Taiping Zoo.
It was previously reported that Taiping Zoom would see a drop in ticket sales by 95 per cent, with a loss in revenue of RM600,000 due to the Movement Control Order (MCO) to curb Covid-19.