Alarm bells have rung out after it was revealed that Zoo Negara had sold off a plot of unused land it had held since 1963 to maintain the upkeep of the national zoo.
Residents of Taman Melawati, near the zoo area, have voiced concerns over the potential development of the land, claiming that the newly gazetted Ampang Jaya Municipal Council local plan shows the land has been reclassified for commercial use.
A group of NGOs has raised concerns over this matter and demanded that the Selangor government explain why it allowed the sale to proceed.
The New Straits Times spoke to Zoo Negara deputy president Rosly Lana, who said the hilly plot of land, adjacent to the zoo, had never been used since 1963.
He said at the height of the Covid pandemic, the national zoo faced a heart-wrenching problem – how to keep thousands of hungry animals alive with barely RM1m left in its dwindling savings.
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Feeding tigers, giraffes, elephants and other creatures costs the zoo between RM1.3m and RM1.5m a month.
With no visitors and no income, desperation forced the national zoo to sell the plot of unused land.
Produced by: NST Online
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