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KUALA LUMPUR, Thurs
Exotic pets are outliving their owners’ fascination for them.
Dozens of these creatures are abandoned on Zoo Negara’s doorstep
every year, said its director Dr Mohamad Ngah.
From the common to the bizarre, the zoo has received almost
1,000 unwanted pets since 1996, he said.
"Sometimes people simply drop the animal off at the gate and run
off," he said.
These included animals whose survival in the wild is threatened,
and even protected species for which owners need licences to
keep, he said.
He said the burgeoning pet trade is mostly to blame, with
thousands of animals, many endangered, captured for sale in pet
shops. |
"If we want to solve this problem, we must look into the pet
industry," he said at a workshop organised by TRAFFIC Southeast
Asia, which monitors the wildlife trade.
Animals rescued from the cooking pot or those that wandered into
homes were rare.
Some owners discovered their pets were not as tame as they
thought, and had attacked people. Others found their pets needed
more care than they were prepared to give.
Abandoned pets were sometimes left in bad shape, requiring long
stays at the animal hospital, he said. Some were malnourished
and several did not survive.
Reptiles turn up the most frequently: owners have left green
iguanas, reticulated pythons, terrapins and even venomous cobras
and vipers. |
Next are rodents, including giant black squirrels that can grow
up to 45cm in length.
People have also left primates such as the nocturnal slow loris
and the pig-tailed macaque which is on the World Conservation
Union’s Red List for "vulnerable" creatures.
Felines like leopard cats and palm civets that were once pets
have also ended up at the gate. Birds have been the least.
Protected wildlife are sent to the Malacca Zoo, which is the
designated rescue facility.
The Wildlife and National Parks Department is usually informed
and takes over such cases, he said. |
