Nothing wrong at Kemaman Zoo? Nonsense, say Animal Rights Activists

Nothing wrong at Kemaman Zoo? Nonsense, say Animal Rights Activists

Prominent Malaysian animal rights activists say that conditions at Kemaman Zoo in Terengganu are appalling. Members of the NGOs Malaysian Friends of the Animals and Friends of the Orangutans (Foto) have recently provided photographic evidence indicating that several resident animals, from orangutans to elephants, were being neglected and mistreated at…

Shining a Light on the Plight of Three Chimps in Pahang

Shining a Light on the Plight of Three Chimps in Pahang

Imagine being locked into a grimy little enclosure just so that people can stare at you. You’re nothing but an exhibit for the amusement of others, yet your keepers care little about your wellbeing. And this goes on for years. Horrific? It sure is. Yet this is the fate that…

Most Reptiles kept as Exotic Pets die Within a Single Year

Most Reptiles kept as Exotic Pets die Within a Single Year

Lots of Malaysians love to have pets. Many of these Malaysians prefer “exotic” pets: monkeys, slow lorises, binturongs, snakes, turtles and a whole host of other illegally kept wild animals. Much attention, including on this site, has been focused on the rampant illegal wildlife trade that facilities the exotic pet…

‘Teach children’ to Love Animals

‘Teach children’ to Love Animals

Malaysians need to reevaluate their views of animals. Animals aren’t unfeeling and unthinking brutes as many people may take them to be. Rather, they’re sentient beings and ought to be treated as such. “Many humans today have yet to reach what we call ‘civilised thinking’ level when it comes to…

Being like Sun Bears for a Day or Two

Being like Sun Bears for a Day or Two

Youngsters love animals and they love getting down and dirty outdoors. So what better way to engage them in environmental causes than by combining these pursuits? That’s what the annual Environmental Education Race (EERace) in Sabah has set out to do. Organized by the Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) under the…

Runaway Ostrich raises some Eyebrows

Runaway Ostrich raises some Eyebrows

On a recent afternoon motorists heading along the Federal Highway were treated to an unusual sight: an ostrich legging it in a fast lane on the way to Kuala Lumpur. The bird was sprinting at an estimated speed of 35km/h. “It started out on the slow lane then it went…

Malaysian Zoos are Houses of Horrors, Activist Charges

Malaysian Zoos are Houses of Horrors, Activist Charges

Dismal. That’s how an animal rights activist describes the state of affairs in Malaysian zoos. Not only do the country’s zoos keep animals in cramped and “decrepit” enclosures where they suffer from “appalling neglect,” but they do so in willing violation of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010. So insists Sean…

What Does it Take to Shut Down a Malaysian Zoo?

What Does it Take to Shut Down a Malaysian Zoo?

Until last week, tiny wire cages, abusive guests and distressed animals characterized Yuk Chin Mini Malaysia Zoo in Borneo, Eastern Malaysia.  Monkeys cowered from kicks aimed at their cage doors by visiting schoolboys, all the animals were severely malnourished, and a crocodile languished in a pool of its own green…

Threats to Bornean Sun Bear Evidence Illegal Poaching in Malaysia

Threats to Bornean Sun Bear Evidence Illegal Poaching in Malaysia

The Malayan sun bear is a little-known species.  The smallest bear in the world, it is a playful, honey-loving tree-climber that once roamed much of Southeast Asia.  Now, though, it lives mostly in Indonesia and Malaysia, where it is threatened by deforestation and poaching. Thanks to these two threats, the…