SALENG and Dungun, the oldest lion and tiger in captivity at Malacca Zoo, are fit, despite allegations resurfacing on social media that the big cats were being neglected.

Malacca Zoo assistant curator Pradeep Gunasegaran said that there was nothing wrong with Saleng or Dungun.

“The lion and tiger don’t look presentable because they are old, and it’s not because we don’t feed them.

“They are eating properly and freely roaming around,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Pradeep said Dungun, a Malayan tiger, was captured in 1998 in Terengganu while Saleng, an African lion, was rescued in Johor seven years ago. Both cats are more than 20 years old.

He said that a lion’s average life expectancy was 25 years in captivity and 14 years in the wild.

“For tigers, the last recorded entry was in Hawaii when one lived up to 25 years in captivity while in the wild, it is less than 20 years.”

A social media post stating that the zoo was in bad shape, and that the lion and other animals were skinny had recently gone viral. The post also said the elephants were all chained.

Pradeep said this was an old post uploaded in 2016, accusations that the zoo has since addressed.

“The Wildlife and National Parks Department officials investigated the matter and found that the cats were simply old and were not neglected.

“I don’t think any animal should be discriminated against if they don’t look presentable to the public.

“All animals are given the proper treatment and care here.” 

Pradeep also said that while there was nothing wrong with people posting photos or commenting on the zoo, it should be done responsibly.

“While we welcome feedback from the public, we hope they can check with us first.

“Give us a chance to respond to what is posted,” he said.

Checks by The Malaysian Insight found that the lion and tiger were being cared for.

Taking shelter from the sun under trees, Saleng and Dungun looked comfortable after their midday meal.

As for the elephants, Pradeep said that they were only chained up late in the evenings as the zoo did not have a night den for the animals.

“At 8.30am, we let the elephants roam freely around their enclosure. It is only in the late evenings that we chain them for safety and security.”

Pradeep said that all the animals were fed daily, and zookeepers and an in-house veterinarian were constantly monitoring them.

“We have 30 zookeepers taking care of 110 species and 658 animals.”

The Malacca Zoo, which went private in 2013, is managed by a consortium, with KAJ Development Sdn Bhd as the anchor company. – August 25, 2018.