From: Sean Whyte via e-mail
In his ill-informed letter (Monkey See, Monkey Do) Anthony Ang makes many ignorant comments that warrant a response.
His lack of knowledge and baseless accusations illustrate why as an accountant he should stick to what he knows best; if indeed he is an accountant. Frankly, he writes like a zoo employee with a grudge and more than a passing interest in certain zoos.
Speaking for myself, I have over 30 years’ experience of visiting and reporting on zoos worldwide. This does not make me an expert, but it gives me a 30-year head start on Mr Ang.
I used to send reports first to Perhilitan. However, I soon learnt Perhilitan was often the zoo owners’ best friend.
Consequently, reports were rarely acted on. To this day I possess confidential emails from zoo insiders claiming Perhilitan’s allegiance to many zoos.
In response to concerns about the lone elephant at Langkawi Elephant Adventures, Perhilitan relied on a report from the park’s own vet, who reassured Perhilitan nothing was wrong. If an independent vet had been sent to check on the elephant, wouldn’t we all have been more convinced nothing was wrong? Besides, who in Perhilitan is an expert on elephants in captivity?
The Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 was meant to bring zoos up to acceptable standards. It has failed to do so.
Why? Because, Perhilitan fails to enforce the law. On this topic, just last week a concerned individual in Malaysia sent me examples of online trading of illegal wildlife he had sent first to Perhilitan. When Perhilitan failed to act on the reports, he sent them to me pleading for my intervention.
Zoos in Malaysia have a long track record of taking wild animals from the wild, both legally and illegally.
Despite my best efforts to motivate MNS and WWF to take an interest in zoos, they claim their internal policies stop them from doing so.
Animals do not volunteer to spend their lives in zoos. Neither do they want to be treated inhumanely or disrespectfully.
With most zoos in Malaysia still breaking the law and Perhilitan refusing to take action, NGO’s who do care about all wildlife, captive or otherwise, are left with no alternative but to speak up and out on behalf of animals and birds that are prisoners in zoos and unable to help themselves.
I have never said release all the zoo animals into the wild. What I ask for is that zoos should be made to conform to the law (they have had six years to do so), which if they did, would ensure their birds and animals would live out their lives in decent enclosures and be treated humanely. Is this too much to ask in 2016?
With over 40 zoos and wildlife parks already in Malaysia and more planned, we can all expect to see more law-breaking, more cruelty and more national and international exposure and criticism. Blame Perhilitan – not me.
Malaysia needs to stop building more zoos, close many existing law-breaking zoos – and enforce the law.
If Mr Ang would like to contact me directly, I will be happy to show him as many photos of law-breaking zoos and associated animal cruelty as he can stomach. I think he may already have my email address.
Sean Whyte is CEO of Nature Alert.
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