Article: Tiger park idea draws more flak

By ANN TAN

GEORGE TOWN: The proposed tiger park in Relau has drawn more objections from non-governmental organisations.

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Malaysia) chief executive officer Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma said they were not in favour of

the plan as the proposed park would be located in an artificial habitat.

“Eco-tourism should promote viewing of wildlife in their natural habitats.

“There is a risk that, if this park is set-up, it could be used as a repository for problem tigers that are caught due to human-tiger conflict incidents,” he said yesterday.

Dr Dionysius said there would also be several issues on tiger procurement for the park.

“Wild tigers cannot be removed from their natural habitat as they are protected under the Protection of Wild Life Act.

“Tigers caught due to human-tiger conflict incidents are currently managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Department at the Malacca Zoo while importing tigers from other countries would require a CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) permit,” he added.

He suggested other ways for Penang to boost its eco-tourism, such as capitalising on the natural attractions at Pulau Jerejak and Penang Hill.

Sahabat Alam Malaysia appealed to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng not to go ahead with the project.

Its president SM Mohd Idris said a zoo or park of such nature was not always an exciting place to visit as a survey of these places revealed that some were in deplorable conditions.

“There is certainly no ‘wow’ factor with badly managed zoos which will only leave a lasting negative impression,” he said.

He said Penang’s strength was its diverse and magnificent natural and cultural heritage.

“The idea of putting captive wildlife in cages or enclosures is outdated as developed nations are trying to do away with zoos,” Mohd Idris said, adding that efforts should go into conservation rather than exploitation of wildlife.

Lim had first announced the proposed park on Sunday and subsequently defended the idea, despite objections from the public and several NGOs. He said he mooted the idea for the park because Penang needed a new eco-tourism project.

The proposed location is a 40ha plot called Pondok Durian Cap Kaki, own-ed by the Penang Municipal Council.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Nation 21 March 2009