Focus on animals’ welfare
SAHABAT Alam Malaysia (SAM) is concerned about the alleged shooting of a chimp at a zoo in Langkawi, which was highlighted by animal rights activists.
Why was the chimp shot? Because it made a daring escape from its night den, into its enclosure and into the open?
Adult chimps can be very dangerous and they can be a threat to people in zoos, if they escape. But zoos must also be prepared with humane options or non-lethal methods of subduing a chimp, such as a tranquilliser dart or net, for cases of escaped wildlife. At the time of this escape, the zoo was closed to the public. In this case, serious questions need to be raised immediately about how an adult chimp managed to escape, and why the animal was shot dead. Zoos are required to ensure that enclosures and boundary fencing are designed and maintained to prevent escapes.
In the wild, chimps live in large groups. It is psychologically damaging for them to be in small barren cages because they lack mental stimulation and the company of their own kind.
Action should be taken against the zoo’s management for any psychological abuse suffered by the chimps. Often, animals’ nor- mal behaviour is seldom discussed, much less observed, and their natural needs are rarely met.
The Zoo Licencing Act should be amended to force zoo managers to ensure the psychological needs of the animals are met. The only welfare protection zoo animals have is not to be treated cruelly. The fact that an animal is not able to behave in a normal way for its species is not considered cruelty. This means that local zoos can continue to house animals in a space likened to a “menagerie from the last century.”
Wildlife officials need to heed increased public awareness of the suffering of captive animals and listen to wildlife experts who recommend that zoos be phased out. SAM believes that visitor experience at zoos should not be considered more important than animal welfare.
If one is truly concerned about the impact that zoos have on animal welfare, it is best to stay away from zoos and businesses which hold animals captive for profit, and as a source of entertainment.