Wild about animals
MEDINA Zaharah Onn, 12, developed a passion for animals after volunteering at wildlife conservation centres. “I’ve done volunteer work from young, involving myself in turtle and elephant conservation programmes and I fell in love with animals.
“Everyone should play a role in protecting wildlife,” she said.
“When I joined the Wildlife Heroes programme by Sunway Theme Parks, I knew that I was going to get the experience of a lifetime,” added Medina Zaharah who dreams of sharing her love for conservation through writing.
One of nine Wildlife Heroes aged 10 to 14, she received a fun and educational experience of nature’s best including learning basic survival skills in the wild at Sunway Lagoon and Sunway Lost World of Tambun.
At the first meeting in August 2017, the Wildlife Heroes attended a three-day camp at Lost World of Tambun interacting with animals at the Wildlife Park as well as practising basic survival skills. They also learnt about camping outdoors, pitching tents, water safety, starting a fire, tying different kinds of knots and building a raft before embarking on a night trekking exploration at the mysterious and historical Gua Datuk.
Reunited for the second meeting in December 2017, they spent three days learning about the behaviour, diet and species of various animals ranging from birds and fish to reptiles and mammals at Sunway Lagoon’s Wildlife Park.
The Wildlife Heroes congregated once again at Lost World of Tambun and Sunway Lagoon for the third meeting last month to conclude the year-long programme.
Wildlife Hero Anna Huggel, 14, who was appointed head of the group based on her leadership skills and knowledge, said that it is important to educate as many people as possible about wildlife.
“A lot of animals are going extinct. I want to do something to stop that.
“Through this programme, I hope to raise awareness, especially from a tender age, of the importance of wildlife conserration. I believe in enriching the lives of wildlife for a better future,” she added.
“The programme has helped broaden our knowledge of wildlife, boost selfconfidence and deepen our exposure to wildlife conserration and nature.”
Wildlife Hero Ahmad Iszuddin Ahmad Izham, 14, decided to take matters into his own hands after he watched a video of leatherback turtles under threat in science class.
Through the sale of homemade cookies, he raised funds for turtle conservation organisations in Sabah and Terengganu.
“It’s unfair for humans to threaten wildlife and their habitats for their meat, skin and organs,” he said.
Living their passion for learning and working with animals, the Wildlife Heroes were excited at the opportunity to take on the role of zookeepers. They cleaned wildlife enclosures and were exposed to the level of care it took to ensure that the animals were healthy and happy in their homes.
Huggel added: “I got to see behind the scenes of zoo helpers taking care of the animals. The helpers tried their best to make the habitat as natural as possible.”
At the third and last meeting, each of the Wildlife Heroes presented to the management of Sunway Theme Parks an enrichment project to heighten the animals’ sense of taste, touch, sound or smell.
Huggel proposed a toy for otters at Sunway Lagoon’s Wildlife Park.
“Otters are curious and playful creatures. I stuffed bamboo with hay and fish so they have to roll it around and stick their forefeet inside to get their treat.”
Ahmad Iszuddin created a bamboo toy for tarantulas. “Tarantulas are not getting the same attention as other animals. I drilled holes into bamboo to add a little fun to their enclosure and stimulate their movements.”
The Wildlife Heroes were presented with awards at a graduation ceremony in the last meeting. Each participant received RM8,000 while Huggel, as head, was remunerated an additional incentive of RM4,000.
At the ceremony, Sunway Lagoon general manager Sean Choo said: “The programme has been rewarding because there was constant two-way learning between the Sunway Theme Park team and Wildlife Heroes. On an assignment, we often found ourselves trading fun facts, tips and tricks about the animals.
“I hope that the Wildlife Heroes learnt as much as we did throughout the programme. Their roles have certainly contributed positively to the lives of the animals and we hope that they will continue to improve the lives of wildlife for many years to come.”