Good Response to Taiping Zoo Virtual Tour and Social Media Night Safari, Vet Says | Life

TAIPING, July 4 – A virtual visit to Taiping Zoo and Night Safari this morning could have provided some respite for those who wanted to visit this tourist attraction but were unable to do so during this period of movement control.

The Facebook Live and Instagram sessions that offered a free tour of the zoo starting at 10 a.m. and featuring its estuarine crocodiles received encouraging responses from social media users.

Taiping Zoo and Night Safari veterinarian Dr Muhammad Ridzuan Affendi explained that during the visit there were six estuarine crocodiles placed in a large area to facilitate mating and sunlight.

“Male crocodiles weigh between 450 and 600 kg and are 6.3 meters long while females weigh 200 to 300 kg and are around three meters long.

“This reptile has a lifespan of up to 70 years and produces five to seven eggs at a time, while the incubation period is 90 days,” he said.

The virtual program was initiated by the zoo as it was affected by the closure of tourist activities due to the Covid-19 pandemic while before that it attracted tourists every weekend and during public holidays.

However, the video suddenly stopped after about 15 minutes due to a technical glitch, although netizens were delighted to watch the reptile on the verge of extinction due to hunting for its skin.

Opened in 1961, the 14 hectare Taiping Zoo is the oldest in the country and has more than 1,300 animals of 180 species. – Bernama