Sabah Most Wanted

Kudat mini zoo comes under criticism

Kudat mini zoo comes under criticism
Published on: Saturday, November 15, 2014
KOTA KINABALU: A dirty and foul mini zoo near Kudat from which the Sabah Wildlife Department last week confisticated an adult Green Turtle and a Hawksbill turtle, both critically endangered and totally protected species and kept in a crammed PVC tank, has come under sharp criticisms. Other showy exhibits similarly kept in small, filthy cages built back-to-back included a peacock, a wild leopard cat, a hornbill, two owls – one with injured beak, another without beak, a binturong and a wild boar.
"I first paid a visit to the mini zoo on April 26, the overwhelming stench from dirty cages and stale air inside the oil palm plantation was unbearable," said Dr Alin James who emailed his report to Daily Express .
Although it opened with top political endorsement more than 10 years ago, it is obvious that that there hasn't been any careful monitoring regimen since, from the supervising authority, on the operating standards and condition, Dr James regreted.
"The animals were in a deplorable condition, roofing of the cages was dilapidated and the floors wet with urine, filthy with faeces, buzzing swarms of flies attracted to the animal excrement," Dr James alleged.
He said the "squalid condition" was reported to the relevant State authorities back in April, 2014, including queries pertaining to the legal status of the private zoo which was first started by a plantation owner as a private hobby before it being turned into a mini zoo, whether there were permits issued for endangered species and whether the animals in captivity have been taken care of in accordance to basic hygiene standard comparable to those in Lok Kawi Wildlife Sanctuary operated by the Sabah Wildlife Department.
But the real shocker which triggered this report came with news from informants on Nov 6 that a totally protected adult Green turtle and a Hawksbill turtle had been added to the cargo of exhibits.
On hearing this, Dr James said he made an immediate dash to the site at Kampung Papapat Darat – a few kilometres after Matunggong but before Sikuati.
The sight of two Green turtles kept in a small PVC tank with barely enough water to keep their caparpace submerged, proved to be the last straw for him, a fuming Dr James said.
"Rightly or wrongly, the action created a negative public peception that someone is apparently bold enough to act with impunity in violation of the law to take two totally protected species for public exhibition in such a poor condition," Dr James lamented.
"Green turtle or Chelonia Mydas spp and Hawksbill turtle or Eretmochlys imbricata spp, have been placed on the IUCN Red List (meaning just one step away from extinction) of Threatened Animals as "Critically Endangered" and in Appendix 1 of CITES," Dr James pointed out.
"Unlike the Green Connection in Likas, UMS, or Gayana Resort, this private zoo obviously has neither the decent facilities nor the expertise to look after the Green and Hawksbill turtles," Dr James asserted .
"One wonders where and when did the mini zoo owner get the Green and Kawksbill turtles because it is an offence to disturb much less cpature capture them from the wild unless with official permission for scientific research purposes, under the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Enactment," he said .
In essence, CITES Appendix 1 means they are part of the cargo of the 'most endangered species'on earth and trade is thus banned espcially for commercial purposes except for scientific research purposes or where special export and import licences are granted.
"So the real question now is where did the mini zoo procure these two 'most endangered' and Totally Protected species or from whom did he/she obtain them," he said.