Article: ‘MJ’ roars to life in Saleng

Sunday August 23, 2009

JOHOR BARU: "Michael Jackson" lives – as a tiger in the privately owned Saleng Zoo here.

One of the five tiger cubs born in the zoo recently is to be named after the deceased King of Pop, zoo caretaker and animal trainer J. Siva Priyan said.

"I thought Michael Jackson would be a fitting name for one of the male cubs.

"For the rest, I have yet to decide," he said, adding that since the zoo was opened 16 years ago, it had successfully bred over 50 tigers.

The cuddly tiger cubs, who were unveiled to visitors for the first time yesterday, are the zoo's latest attraction.

The cubs, comprising two males and three females, seemed slightly nervous but were ready to play with visitors.

Siva Priyan said the latest brood was the result of successful mating between tigers Putra and Kasih, which had been at the zoo for more than 10 years.

He said the zoo's request for an orang utan had been approved by the Wildlife Department and that it was now waiting to get one.

Siva Priyan said the zoo already had one male orang utan, which was a feeling a "little lonely".

He said the zoo was also expecting lion cubs next month.

The zoo opens daily from 9.30am to 7pm.

The entrance fee is RM12 for adults and RM6 for children.

The zoo is located at Lot 3777, Batu 17 1/2, Jalan Raya, Saleng, 81400 Senai, Johor.

This article was taken from: The Star Online:Nation 23 August 2009