AKUARIUM TUNKU AKUARIUM TUNKU ABDUL RAHMANABDUL RAHMAN
(ATAR),(ATAR),ZOO NEGARA MALAYSIAZOO NEGARA MALAYSIA
Malaysia’s 1st Wetland-themed Aquarium
Herman Bernard GanapathyZoo Negara Malaysia
ContentsContentsA.IntroductionB. Why Wetlands? C. Theme &
DevelopmentD.Education at
ATARE. Conservation at
ATARF. Challenges &
Opportunities
A.A. ZOO NEGARA - INTRODUCTIONZOO NEGARA - INTRODUCTIONLAUNCHED by 1st Prime Minister of Malaysia,Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj on 14th November 1963.
GENERAL INFORMATIONGENERAL INFORMATION
ZOO NEGARA IS OWNED AND MANAGED BY THE
MALAYSIAN ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY
• Established : About 46 Years• Size : 120 Acres (48.6 Ha)• Current Visitors : About 1 million per year• Operates : 365 days (9am – 5 pm)• Ticket Prices : Adults RM20 : Child RM6• OPEX Per Year : RM9 – 10 million per year• Staff : 125 (60 in Zoology Dept)
THE FIVE PILLARS OF ZOO THE FIVE PILLARS OF ZOO NEGARA MALAYSIANEGARA MALAYSIA
•Conservation•Education•Recreation•Training•Research
BB. . WHY A WETLANDS THEME?WHY A WETLANDS THEME?• Critically threatened• Ecologically important• Misunderstood• High in biodiversity and
endemism• Lack of knowledge on local
wetland fauna & flora among Malaysians
WHY ATAR? WHY ATAR? …………WHY NOT?WHY NOT?
• Approximately one million visitors a year-what better place to educate on various conservation issues
• Family oriented/comfortable -every age group can be educated within a short period of time within their comfort zone
• A different approach - as opposed to conventional aquariums
• Instill love- for local wetland fauna and flora among local Malaysians
98 %98 % Recreation & Family Recreation & Family Outing Outing
2% 2% Research, Wildlife Research, Wildlife Awareness & KnowledgeAwareness & Knowledge
C. DEVELOPMENT OF ATARC. DEVELOPMENT OF ATAR
Malaysian River Journey2.Upper river/Dams
3.Mid river
4.Freshwater and man-made wetlands
5.Lower river
6.Peat swamps
7.Mangrove swamps
8.Rocky shore and coral reefs
DEVELOPMENT OF ATARDEVELOPMENT OF ATAR1. Concept & Theme
• Design based upon theme
• Includes flora and fauna of wetlands in Malaysia and SEA
• Replication of habitats/niches into aquariums
• Immerse exhibits
DEVELOPMENT OF ATAR DEVELOPMENT OF ATAR
2. Habitat Analysis
a. Water parameters
b. Habitat design and structure
c. Fauna and flora composition
d. etc
DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT OF ATAROF ATAR3.Replicating habitats of each zone
Artificial rockwork
Mural painting
Replication of habitat
Designing of tank layout
E.E.CONSERVATION WORK AT ATARCONSERVATION WORK AT ATAR
1.Breeding Programme•Selected wild fish species (eg Betta sp, Parosphromenus sp etc)
CONSERVATION WORK AT ATARCONSERVATION WORK AT ATAR
2. Plant Culturing Programme •selected endangered aquatic plants eg Cryptocoryne sp, Barclaya sp etc
CONSERVATION WORK AT ATARCONSERVATION WORK AT ATAR3. Rescue & relocation-of endangered aquatic plants sp eg
Cryptocoryne
Before: March 2010
After: October 2010
CONSERVATION WORK AT ATARCONSERVATION WORK AT ATAR
Rescue and relocation of Cryptocoryne minima at Sg. Buloh FR
CONSERVATION WORK AT ATARCONSERVATION WORK AT ATAR4. Research collaborations
-with research teams (foreign & local)
5. Meetings and discussions
-NGOs and
Government Agencies
Peat swamp fish research with Natural History Museum, London
Peat Swamp Consultancy Meeting
E. CHALLENGES & E. CHALLENGES & OPPURTUNITIESOPPURTUNITIES1. Visitors
perception/attitudes Towards theme
Create more interesting ways of displaying wetlands
Towards exhibits Create multiple exhibits based on habitats
Towards education Creative means of education
2. Funding/Sponsorship Marketing of ATAR
CHALLENGES & CHALLENGES & OPPURTUNITIESOPPURTUNITIES
4. Husbandry issues Insufficient information of
biology/ecology of each species exhibited Ability to learn more about
each species and their habitat
Difficulty in breeding threatened species Ability to learn about
biology and breeding patterns of each threatened species
CHALLENGES & OPPURTUNITIESCHALLENGES & OPPURTUNITIES
5. Conservation issueDestruction/pollution of
natural habitats conservation through
breeding/culturing programmes
Networking with other environmental organizations (NGOs and Government)
Lack of research Collaboration with
research institutes etc