Letters

Zooming in on wonderful zoo experience

LETTERS: In the pre-pandemic days, a public holiday in the week gives most Seremban folks a chance to visit either Air Keroh, Melaka or Port Dickson.

Last Tuesday, after a long lay off due to the pandemic and with the interstate travel lifted post MCO, I decided to drive to the Famosa Free Port at Simpang Ampat.

I left at about 9.30 in the morning and within 40 minutes was at the Simpang Ampat Free Port parking area and the car park was virtually empty with only a few cars parked along the main road.

As I walked to the entrance, the shutters were all closed and the there was a notice on the opening times which was from 12pm to 9pm. Pre-pandemic, it normally opens at 10am.

So, I decided to go to Melaka Zoo which is about 30 minutes drive from there. It's the country's second biggest zoo after Zoo Negara. And it also boasts of the Night Safari experience like that of the Taiping Zoo.

As I entered the car park, it was 11am and cars were parked along the road. I could see a long queue to buy tickets at the counters. I had to drive all the way to the far end of the lake area to find a parking spot and a long walk from the zoo entrance.

Parking was free because it was a public holiday. As I was walking to the counters, loud speakers blared at the background reminding people to practice social distancing and to scan the MySejahtera App.

As a senior citizen, I paid RM31. The ticket operators ensured that everyone completed their vaccination and there was a sanitising pathway at the entrance which visitors had to pass through.

There was a sign outside the zoo that stated that only 500 people would be allowed into the zoo at any one time. It was reassuring that the zoo was taking precautions to ensure a safe and wonderful experience at the zoo.

There were many people young and old. It was nice to see people having a wonderful time. All of them had their face masks on.

Many families had picnics in the zoo grounds while others whetted their appetites at the numerous food stalls selling ice cream to cendol to burgers and other food menus.

I noticed too that many of the zoo enclosures were empty and the tigers and lions looked malnourished.

But, the Encounter Dinosaurs a new attraction was a hit with small children and adults. The pre-historic animals moving their heads and jaws had the small children in awe.

The Flying Monkey with a zipline 20 to 30 metres high where daredevils get strapped to a harness and move from line to another line on a cable suspended in mid-air.

Melaka Zoo is the only zoo in the country to have the Flying Monkey zipline. I spent nearly two hours at the zoo and it was an experience to savour.

SAMUEL YESUIAH

Seremban, Negri Sembilan


The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times

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