Zoo Negara will study China’s system of loaning out its pandas to other countries and propose the same to be done with Malaysian wildlife.
Zoo Negara deputy director Dr Muhammad Danial Felix said the same method could be implemented with local wildlife such as the orang utan and the Malayan tiger to fund research and sustainability of the animals.
“If other countries want our animals, we can practise this method. We may not need to impose such a high fee but we can charge a certain amount – not for free.
“For China, the loan of these animals sustains research work, and we can do the same here,” he said.
In June 2012, the Malaysian and Chinese governments agreed on two pandas, Feng Yi and Fu Wa, to be loaned to Malaysia to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries this year. As per the agreement, Malaysia will pay the Chinese government USD1 million (RM3.24 million) a year for 10 years to keep the pandas.
The two giant pandas will be arriving from Chengdu, China, next month but visitors can only see them at the zoo a month later to allow the animals to adapt to the new environment.
If the two pandas on loan here produce a baby, Malaysia would have to pay China US$640,000 (RM2.07mil) and can keep the baby for two years.
The pandas were originally slated to take up residency at Zoo Negara this week, but the arrival was postponed to a more “significant date” to celebrate 40 years of diplomatic relations between both countries which falls next month.
Story: The Star Online
