KUALA LUMPUR: “Hey, hold on... Hey, I’m just cleaning up your place.”
Zookeeper Umar Ashraf, 32, fixed his eyes briefly on the Malayan tiger cubs, Wira, Hebat and Melur, who could not stop hissing and roaring at him. He continued to point a water hose around their enclosure.
The cubs’ mother, Kayla, who temporarily moved to a nearby enclosure for the clean-up, was upset. She roared loudly, displaying her fangs in a show of protest.
“It is motherly instinct which caused Kayla, as a protective parent, to behave this way. This is especially so since she knows who I am. Animals here, including tigers, recognise us (zookeepers) by our appearance, voice and scent.
“That’s why you can hear the staff talking or singing when they are in the enclosures. These actions will allow the animals to be familiar with them.
“Cubs raised by their mother tend to copy her behaviour, while those raised around humans are mild mannered.
“In the case of these cubs, they still feed on their mother’s milk, in addition to meat we place daily for Kayla. Their hostile reaction is expected,” he told the New Straits Times.
Umar’s daily routine, along with three other zookeepers assigned to the Carnivore Section — Muhammad Badaruden Sezali, 21, Muhammad Firdaus Ahmad Pazir, 30, and Muhammad Azman Fikri Abdull Raman, 23 — usually starts early as he needs to check the display perimeter before the zoo opens for visitors.
The enclosures, which are home to nine adult tigers, including two males named Pacin and Jati, are inspected for any fallen trees or alien objects like plastic bottles thrown by irresponsible visitors.
He said zoos around the world, including Zoo Negara Malaysia, played a role in education and animal conservation.
“One part of conservation is the protection of species in the wild by addressing the poaching menace and safeguarding their habitat.
“The other is education, where zoos play a role by introducing these animals to the public and raising awareness of wildlife protection.
“It is easy to say that the animals belong in the wild and that we should release them.
“Do you know what will happen to tigers like Kayla and her cubs if we release them into the jungle now? They won’t last long as they would not be able to fend for themselves. They would fall victim to poachers.
“Also, they won’t stand a chance against tigers that grew up in the jungle,” said the Melaka-born employee.
He added that he had always been interested in wildlife.
Umar expressed concern over the illegal wildlife trade, which he said was the main factor driving wild animals, such as the Malayan tiger, to the brink of extinction.
“It is estimated there are only about 200 Malayan tigers. If you want to do your part, do not buy wildlife animal parts. It is illegal and will encourage poachers to hunt more wild animals. When there’s no demand, there won’t be any supply.”
At Zoo Negara Malaysia, Umar said the caretakers keep the human-animal interaction to a minimum, especially for “Code 1” species like tigers that were capable of killing.
“Safety is our priority. We want to mimic the animals’ surroundings to that of their natural habitat.
“That’s why you can see trees, plants, rocks and ponds at the display area.
“We ensure that their wellbeing is protected. This is where they lurk, roam around, play and nap.
“The first thing that they do as soon as they are released from their enclosures to the display area in the morning is to mark their territory,” he said.
A manoeuvring system would be used during the cleaning of the enclosures.
“Say, we want to wash an animal. We would release the occupant to a nearby enclosure and shut its door. Only then would we proceed.
“The important thing is to remember the doors. If we are not sure, we must double check so that none of the animals escape,” he said.
For carnivores, their meal time is once daily in the afternoon and each adult is fed between 10kg and 12kg of meat (alternating between beef and chicken or both), added with eggs for protein.
Once a week, cod liver oil would be added to their diet for vitamins that are good for their fur and skin.
Umar said there was a lack of awareness of the role of zookeepers.
“Apart from undergoing training courses, we get to visit zoos in other countries and see how they manage theirs.
“In countries like Singapore, zookeepers are treated as professionals, not a low-level (workforce).
“For those who think that a zookeeper’s job is easy and simple, they should come here and volunteer,” he said.
This writer intended to do just that, but threw in the towel after making a sorry attempt at scrubbing an enclosure.
Jati, who was pacing around his enclosure, marked his territory and “sprayed” this writer who was standing nearby, prompting a knee-jerk reaction (literally) from photographer Muhd Zaaba Zakeria and videographer Halim Salleh.
“You should consider yourself lucky. How many people could say that they got peed on by a tiger?” Zaaba said.
“Sometimes when a tiger pees, its smell could attract the opposite sex,” said Umar, as he was chuckling away.
This writer did not think so. We think it is best to leave tough jobs like this to experts.