TAIPING ZOO WELCOMES BABY ZEBRA
Birth is the first for the species since zoo started in 1961
MALAYSIA’S oldest zoo reverberated with cheers of jubilation when a stork delivered a bundle of joy, which also doubles as a historic milestone for the zoo.
On Sunday, the Taiping Zoo and Night Safari made history when it welcomed the birth of its first baby zebra since it opened its doors in 1961.
The foal, which weighs about 30kg, is the twelfth baby animal born at the zoo this year. The other animals are a lar gibbon, an Indian bison, a crowned crane and eight milky storks.
Taiping Municipal Council president Datuk Abdul Rahim Md Ariff said the birth increased the number of animals at the zoo to 120 species.
“The latest animal birth is an important achievement to our breeding and conservation programme.
“We must continue our efforts to stop rare animals from becoming extinct.
“The birth of the baby zebra, or the equss quagga burchellii, is historic as it is the first birth of the species at the Taiping Zoo and Night Safari since it started operations.
“With this birth, the number of zebras at the zoo has grown to three,” he said yesterday.
Rahim said the birth of the Indian bison on Oct 19 was the sixth birth since 2000, adding that the birth of the gibbon on April 22 was also a historic achievement of the breeding programme for the species.
“The birth of the lar gibbon increased the number of the species to 13. There are five male, six females and two babies, which are too young for us to know their gender.”
He said he hoped the zoo would continue its efforts in providing educational programmes that would benefit visitors and play a strong role in animal conservation.