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Activities Report 1999 Sept Newsletter

It is Time to Review the Old Wildlife Act 
      The Malaysian Nature Society welcomes the move of the Wildlife and National Parks Depart-ment (DWNP) to introduce new laws to tighten the rules of keeping wild animals. All licensed animals should be registered with information on their age, size, place caught or obtained and other pertinent description. The introduction of a tag or embedded microchip containing all the records and serial number of the animals will provide easy identification during regular checks by the DWNP. Examples of the usage of microchips can be found in Grade A zoos around the world and in Zoo Melaka. This is to prevent the replacement of wild animals without the knowledge of DWNP.
     Enforcement needs to be tightened and emphasis placed on a conservation role in ensuring the conservation of the bio-diversity of animals and their habitats. More specialist manpower and money needs to be channelled towards DWNP to enhance its role in conservation.
      The necessity and purpose of setting up of zoos, aviaries, wild animal farms and safari parks need to be re-examined. For transparency and public participation, non-governmental organisations and academicians can be called in to form a committee in setting up these establishments. Pet shops and private collections are another area that needs serious focus as their numbers are increasing rapidly.
      For zoos and animal parks, MNS recommends more freedom and natural habitats of the open concept types without fencing and cages for the well being of the animals. This applies to keeping large animals with big territorial areas and space should not be compromised. For smaller animals, suitable cages or glass aquaria with natural habitat should be maintained. All visitors to these new zoos should not be confined to reading from plaques. They should be guided around with introduction to the wildlife, role of the zoos, and habitat conservation.
      These establishments should not abuse their 'conservation' role and make profit as the main and final objective. There should be a balance depending on the capacity and ability of the establishment to maintain the zoos and conduct research and conservation work with funding through their fund raising and financial management.
      More wilderness areas are recommended to be set aside for in-situ conservation, that is conservation in the wild. Buffer zones and animal corridors should link up these areas for migration purposes and space. Space is what is needed from the setting up of these wilderness areas, as the animals will be reintroduced back from the zoos. Furthermore, a fresh wild gene pool can be taken from these reserves for healthy offspring of threatened animals to be bred in these zoos.
 

Kuala Lumpur, 20/7/1999


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Created on 3rd Sept 1999