The Noah by Mark Baba Pets Café is the first and only one of its kind in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Home to at least 26 species, from furry to feathered and scaly, this establishment has become the cutest spot in town.
Opened in October 2022 with the primary goal of serving food, things took a turn when people began queuing up for a look at the feisty creatures there – including Timon and Pumba the meerkats, Coco and Melon the raccoons, prairie dogs, call ducks, iguanas, and many more.
After a brief hiatus in 2023, The Noah is back to dazzle in a new venue, an expanded array of exotic animals, and a pledge to keep the fun flowing!
While pet cafés are plentiful in the Klang Valley, founder Aaron Mark Pius noted that was not the case for other parts of the country.
“The awareness of exotic pets is quite limited in Sabah, compared to West Malaysia.”
The Noah is located in Penampang, just a 20-minute drive from Kota Kinabalu. “This place is nothing like a zoo. In fact, it’s more about interaction rather than just petting the animals,” shared Pius.
Allowing visitors to get up close with the exotic animals, children and adults can sit among them in their habitats.
Dubbed as edutainment, a fusion of education and entertainment, chief marketing officer Michelle Wong Tze Wen, 23, remarked: “Many Sabahan kids rarely have the opportunity to experience such things. Some can’t even afford a plane ticket to West Malaysia. Children have tonnes of questions, so we share fun facts like the meerkats being immune to venom.”
It’s clear that the people behind The Noah have a genuine love for exotic animals. Many were pets in Pius’s home long before the idea of a pet café took shape.
“It began in 2020 during the pandemic when my wife and I felt quite lonely at home in Selangor,” Pius recalled.
Seeing that many pet shops were letting go of their residents, the couple adopted their first furry friend, a prairie dog. Then came a meerkat, followed by a chinchilla. And, no surprise but these exotic animals were real show-stoppers.
“Kids and families from the neighbourhood would intentionally jog by our house in the evenings just to stop by and see our pets,” Pius shared.
It was this overwhelming interest in exotic animals that prompted him to open the Mark Baba Pets Café. “I thought, if there’s such keen interest in West Malaysia, why not bring the same joy to East Malaysia?”
While most visitors are ecstatic about playing with these friendly creatures, some are sceptical.
“People assume that these animals will bite or attack. If you understand them, the prairie dog can be as good of a pet as the dog. The meerkat can be as good as the cat.”
Busting another common misconception, he added: “It’s also not wrong to keep these exotic animals as pets. They actually live much longer when domesticated.”
Speaking about a few of their residents, Wong shared that each has their own personality.
“Prairie dogs are the ultimate cuddlers in our café. Our raccoons, Coco and Melon, are the most mischievous ones. If you don’t have food, they won’t even pay attention to you,” she laughed.
While these animals aren’t endangered now, who knows what the future will be like for them? So, make sure to swing by The Noah for an adorable adventure the next time you’re in the neighbourhood.
Follow The Noah on Instagram and Facebook.
The Noah
Ramayah Hub
89500 Penampang
Sabah
Opening hours: 11am-7pm (Closed on Monday)