TAIPING: The Taiping Zoo & Night Safari welcomed the birth of a male baby elephant and the hatching of an African Spoonbill wading bird last Dec 30.
Both are very significant to the zoo as the last time the wading bird hatched was in 2003 while the last elephant calf was born in 2011.
Taiping Municipal Council (MPT) president Datuk Abdul Rahim Md Ariff said both are considered valuable achievements for the zoo.
Abdul Rahim said this doesn't just add to the number of animals in the zoo, which presently plays host to over 140 species including mammals, reptiles, fishes and birds, but it also serves as an assurance that the zoo's conservation efforts can continue in a bid to prevent extinction.
"As of now, the Taiping Zoo & Night Safari has seven male elephants, two female elephants and three African spoonbill birds," he said at a press conference held at the zoo, here, today.
Apart from the birth and hatching, the zoo also welcomed four other species purchased from licensed companies, as part of its efforts to attract more visitors.
According to Abdul Rahim, the new animals acquired are two Paradise shelducks, Whooper swans, emus and three Trumpeter swans.
"With these new additions and new species, this means the Taiping Zoo & Night Safari now has over 1,400 animals.
"We hope to see an increase in the number of local and foreign visitors this year, as compared to 609,567 last year," he said.