Friends of the Orangutans Malaysia (FOTO) director Upreshpal Singh said the organisation had received several photos showing the elephants there kept in chains and unable to roam freely.
He said the cages for sun bears and pythons were filthy with their waste lying on the hard cement floor.
One tiger at the zoo was confined to a small and mouldy enclosure, he added. Tigers are one of the park’s major attractions and this zoo has three, two of which are languishing in tiny cages at the back of the zoo.
“The photos we’ve seen are heartbreaking,” he told FMT.
“State government officials have previously stated that the zoo also acts as a rescue centre.
“As such, one would expect the animals to be receiving excellent treatment, which sadly doesn’t appear to be the case.”
He added that the zoo, managed by the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD), should stop breeding animals immediately, especially in light of a state official stating that it did not make profits.
Upreshpal said if that were the case, the zoo should stop its animals breeding and stop animal imports, like it did with the three Malayan tigers from Melaka Zoo so care can improve for existing animals and future rescued ones.
“Most importantly, the state government needs to take responsibility and urgently spend to provide all animals with great care, including daily enrichment, and not leave them suffering in chains or in tiny barren cages,” he said.
On the condition of the elephants, Upreshpal said while the pachyderms were normally allowed to roam in a small enclosure, they were all chained now because a new enclosure was being constructed.
He said he was concerned that the creatures would continue to be chained that way, adding that it was not known when the project would be completed.
The zoo, built on a 112ha piece of land about 20km from Penampang town, was officially opened on Feb 17, 2007. It also acts as a sanctuary for animals that are captured or rescued by SWD.
There have been attempts to get the zoo to move to a bigger area in Sugut, also in Penampang, where the government has a piece of land that can cater to its increasing animal population, but they were frustrated by bureaucratic obstacles.
Upreshpal said it would be good to revisit the proposal under the new state government.
“If they turn the zoo into a sanctuary, tourists will come and give their money. Right now, no Western tourists care about Lok Kawi. Barely anyone goes there, only locals do,” he said.
FMT has reached out to SWD and is waiting for its response.