ZOO NEGARA – A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME
THE HUMBLE BEGINNING ~ MR V.M. HUTSON’S 5-ACRE GARDEN
“BIRTH” OF NATIONAL ZOO ~ (ZOO NEGARA)
INITIAL CAPITAL EXPENDITURE
The working party carefully considered the expense of showing a small number of animals such as bears, deer, gibbons, monkeys and reptiles in a four-acre site and concluded that two installments of $50,000 would be sufficient as initial capital.
2
THE FIRST CHAIRMAN / FIRST PRESIDENT
Early in 1961, the recommendations resulting from these discussions were sent to the Minister for Rural Development, who wasnow the responsible Minister; and on 29 April 1961, a public meeting was held in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Hall to form the Malayan Zoological Society. At the meeting Mr. V.M. Hutson introduced the Deputy Minister of Rural Development Tuan Haji Abdul Khalid b. Awang Osman as the Chairman, and gave a brief resume of the events which led to the convening of the meeting. The Malayan Zoological Society with its primary objectives, thefounding and management of the National Zoo was officially registered on 2 January 1962. The Deputy Minister of Rural Development was then the first President of the Malayan Zoological Society.
WHERE TO LOCATE THE NATIONAL ZOO?
By this time MAHA has included zoological exhibits in three annual shows and the gate had continued to rise, being 60,000 in 1958 and 93,500 in 1960. Yet even with such gate money the zoo would require other firm financial backing. At the time sites in Templers Park were being examined and it was estimated that their development would require at $200,000. This was already twice the originally estimated cost and as it eventually happened very much more has been necessary for the permanentbuilding on the site finally chosen.
Malayan Zoological Society had discovered no suitable site for the National Zoo. This was a problem which had vexed the Societyfrom the earliest days and continued to do so for another six months or more. Areas in the Lake Gardens, Pantai and Templer Park had all been examined but all for one
reason or another had proved unsuitable.
BIRTH OF THE MALAYAN ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY
A second working party was elected at the inaugural meeting of the Society and during the next three months it worked hard to prepare for the first public meeting of the Society. The first Council was elected in this meeting and the Rules of the Society were adopted. So the Malayan Zoological
Society was truly born but certainly not with a silver spoon in its mouth.
At this time Major A.N. Weinman who was then the Director of the Dehiwala Zoo in Colombo was invited to visit Kuala Lumpur ashe had offered his services in helping the infant zoo to its feet. He spent a month here during which he inspected both Templer Park and the present site at Ulu Klang and submitted a report to the Council recommending the Ulu Klang site. He also submitted the general layout plan of the proposed zoo and detailed his recommendations for staffing, development and a list of exhibits.
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THE HUMBLE BEGINNING ~ MR V.M. HUTSON’S 5-ACRE GARDEN
Zoos are found in almost every country and a year after its independence in 1957, Malaya too needed a National Zoo. During the annual exhibition of the Malayan Agri-HorticulturalAssociation(MAHA), the people of Malaya have shown great interest in caged animals on show at the exhibition. Mr. V.M.
Hutson (later Tan Sri) Committee Member of MAHA, was responsible for the miniature zoo set-up at the exhibition. There was no doubt that Malayans enjoyed the miniature zoos and through the local press, they voiced their wish for a more permanent showcase of animals. Manyof the animals that were exhibited at the annual MAHA exhibition were kept temporary at Mr. V.M. Hutson’s 5-acre garden at the Bangsar Estate (now Damansara). In the collection was an Indo-Chinese Tiger named Nikky, three Orang Utans called Jacko, Suzan and Jane together with six Estuarine Crocodiles and many others. Who would have thought that these animals would be the nucleus collection for Malaya’s National Zoo?
Hutson (later Tan Sri) Committee Member of MAHA, was responsible for the miniature zoo set-up at the exhibition. There was no doubt that Malayans enjoyed the miniature zoos and through the local press, they voiced their wish for a more permanent showcase of animals. Manyof the animals that were exhibited at the annual MAHA exhibition were kept temporary at Mr. V.M. Hutson’s 5-acre garden at the Bangsar Estate (now Damansara). In the collection was an Indo-Chinese Tiger named Nikky, three Orang Utans called Jacko, Suzan and Jane together with six Estuarine Crocodiles and many others. Who would have thought that these animals would be the nucleus collection for Malaya’s National Zoo?
“BIRTH” OF NATIONAL ZOO ~ (ZOO NEGARA)
In September 1958, on the initiative of the Ministry of Natural Resources, a number of representatives of Government departments, relevant societies and interested individuals along with Mr. V.M. Hutson met and held preliminary discussions. A working party under the chairmanship of the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Natural Resources was set up to examine the proposal to establish a National Zoo for the Federation of Malaya and to recommend a detailed and practical development plan to the Minister of Natural Resources. The discussions and investigations were based on the assumption that the Government would be unable to support the project with a substantial sum of money; but it was hoped that it would assist and support the zoo in other ways; by the exemption of taxes and entertainment duties, for instance, and possibly with a small annual subvention. Subsequently all these were granted by the State and Federal Governments. The working party eventually recommended that a Zoological Society should be set-up to finance and administer the zoo which, in early stages, was to be a small area with animals in conventional cages. Ifenough capital accrued from this and possible gifts, the Society would embark on a more ambitious scheme on a permanent site with ‘Whipsnade’ type enclosures.
INITIAL CAPITAL EXPENDITURE
The working party carefully considered the expense of showing a small number of animals such as bears, deer, gibbons, monkeys and reptiles in a four-acre site and concluded that two installments of $50,000 would be sufficient as initial capital.
2
THE FIRST CHAIRMAN / FIRST PRESIDENT
Early in 1961, the recommendations resulting from these discussions were sent to the Minister for Rural Development, who wasnow the responsible Minister; and on 29 April 1961, a public meeting was held in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Hall to form the Malayan Zoological Society. At the meeting Mr. V.M. Hutson introduced the Deputy Minister of Rural Development Tuan Haji Abdul Khalid b. Awang Osman as the Chairman, and gave a brief resume of the events which led to the convening of the meeting. The Malayan Zoological Society with its primary objectives, thefounding and management of the National Zoo was officially registered on 2 January 1962. The Deputy Minister of Rural Development was then the first President of the Malayan Zoological Society.
WHERE TO LOCATE THE NATIONAL ZOO?
By this time MAHA has included zoological exhibits in three annual shows and the gate had continued to rise, being 60,000 in 1958 and 93,500 in 1960. Yet even with such gate money the zoo would require other firm financial backing. At the time sites in Templers Park were being examined and it was estimated that their development would require at $200,000. This was already twice the originally estimated cost and as it eventually happened very much more has been necessary for the permanentbuilding on the site finally chosen.
Malayan Zoological Society had discovered no suitable site for the National Zoo. This was a problem which had vexed the Societyfrom the earliest days and continued to do so for another six months or more. Areas in the Lake Gardens, Pantai and Templer Park had all been examined but all for one
reason or another had proved unsuitable.
BIRTH OF THE MALAYAN ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY
A second working party was elected at the inaugural meeting of the Society and during the next three months it worked hard to prepare for the first public meeting of the Society. The first Council was elected in this meeting and the Rules of the Society were adopted. So the Malayan Zoological
Society was truly born but certainly not with a silver spoon in its mouth.
At this time Major A.N. Weinman who was then the Director of the Dehiwala Zoo in Colombo was invited to visit Kuala Lumpur ashe had offered his services in helping the infant zoo to its feet. He spent a month here during which he inspected both Templer Park and the present site at Ulu Klang and submitted a report to the Council recommending the Ulu Klang site. He also submitted the general layout plan of the proposed zoo and detailed his recommendations for staffing, development and a list of exhibits.
Read More.......
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