Things have taken for the worse, as alleged corruption and maladministration and terrible animal welfare plagues Zoo Negara, says Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari.

Not only will will visitors be disappointed with the horrible state the animals are in, Zairil said, the zoo has also not seen an experienced zoologist in over a decade.

“I have (also) received information that reports were lodged against the management of the zoo with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), alleging corruption and maladministration,” he said in a statement today.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Paul Low, had confirmed the existence of the reports to a question in Parliament from Zairil, but Low had given a very ambiguous reply.

“According to his (Low) reply dated Nov 4, the MACC has indeed received information on this issue, but that is is “currently being verified,” Zairil said.

In fact, even with continuous government subsidies, with RM10.1 million allocated to Zoo Negara by the federal government last year, the drastic drop in visitor numbers was increasing, he said.

Despite the allocation of RM25 million for the new panda exhibit housing the two pandas, Xing Xing and Liang Liang, visitors continued to decline, with most people complaining about the exorbitant fees imposed.

Around 700,000 visitors a year now

“While the zoo was able to record one million visitors almost 30 years ago, current visitor numbers hover around 600,000 to 700,000 a year, according to its Zoo Negara vice-president Rosly @Rahmat Ahmat Lana.

“Despite continuous support from the government and higher entry fees, why hasn't Zoo Negara improve significantly? It would appear that something is wrong somewhere,” said Zairil, who is DAP national publicity assistant secretary.

He also cited a news report by the news portal The Ant Daily on the harsh and inhumane treatment of the animals housed there.

“With an abundance of wildlife, we should have a national zoo that is capable of reflecting this heritage. It should not only be a mere tourist attraction or wildlife conservatory.

“It is a shame that our national zoo is in such a sorry state when our urban neighbour Singapore is able to boast a zoo that has made it into CNN's 'Top 5 Zoos in the World,” Zairil said.

Zoo Negara was established in 1963 on 110 acres of land in Ulu Klang, Kuala Lumpur. It started out with 89 species of exhibits and has grown to house more than 5,137 specimens from 476 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish.

The zoo also currently charges RM10 for children below 12 years of age, with an additional RM10 to see the pandas and RM50 for adults, which include entry and panda viewing fee.