KUALA LUMPUR, 20 APRIL 2021 – For years now, the custodians of Zoo Negara were unable to improve the homes of its residents as much as they want to, as the Zoo was – and still is – in dire need of funding, especially exacerbated during the on-and-off closures of the zoo in the MCO/CMCO period. While Zoo Negara is tirelessly trying to improve its overall structure and hoping to redeem what minimal funding they can by immediately opening the Zoo when restrictions were lifted, there is only so much that they can do to keep its animals thriving especially when most of the cost has to cover the food that the animals needed, and a cost-friendly, sustainable method especially in maintaining the water environment of the zoo can be difficult. Armed with determination to help ease the burden of our national zoo, Waterco (Far East) Sdn Bhd (also known as Waterco) is committed to provide a clean and safe water environment at a sustainable cost for Zoo Negara.
Having been around in the industry for nearly 40 years and the only filtration company to be awarded the Climate Care certification, Waterco is adamant to continuously be the provider of a safe and healthy water environment for all (be it in improving the quality water care for humans or animals) as water plays a vital role in the survival of all beings. Fully aware of the situation faced by Zoo Negara, Waterco reached out to begin planning ways they could provide sustainable solutions to improve the water condition of Zoo Negara, starting with the Malayan Tiger’s enclosure.
“As it is, not every residential home has access to clean and quality water and it is still a task to solve that the country is undergoing, what more when it comes to animals especially when each of them has different water environment needs. Zoo Negara has done their utmost best in doing what they are able to for the animals – now with our expertise in this arena, we want to contribute our ability that will help ease the burden of Zoo Negara down the line,” said Mr Koo Zao Cheong, Regional Business Development Manager of Waterco.
“It has been Waterco’s mission to always uplift the lives of our community, for a safer and cleaner water environment through our products and services. During the MCO, we are aware of the difficulties that Zoo Negara endured especially in their requests to the public for help. Waterco wants to extend this help and more – we were eager to lend expertise and to carry out our mission for our furry friends to ensure they too have access to a cleaner water environment.”
Numerous research and site visits were undertaken to assess the water situation at Zoo Negara. According to Mr Koo, the land in Zoo Negara is mature and there were many factors to take into consideration such as the piping, water source, placement of the filters and many more prior to making their decision. Apart from it they also need to understand the water needs of each animal from the caretakers, as different animals have different water climates. After careful research and discussions with the Zoo Negara team, Waterco is looking to kickstart the Zoo Negara Water Environment project with the Malayan Tiger enclosure not only because of the urgent help required to their living environment, but also as Malaysia’s national animal, it will be a good kick-starter for this water conservation project with Zoo Negara.
“After a thorough research on the samples and the enclosure, we came to a decision on the type of product that would be suitable and effective for the Malayan Tiger. As we want to take a green-step forward that will not add to the cost of Zoo Negara’s maintenance, we have chosen a type of product which will not only yield the intended results but is also energy saving, which we are positive will lessen the burden of Zoo Negara when it comes to maintenance of the enclosure. We want to ensure that our efforts will bring the best result for the animal and can be easily maneuvered and maintained by Zoo Negara,” explained Mr Koo.
While the process of filtration installation and deep-cleaning of the water in the Malayan Tiger enclosure may take approximately 3 months or more and constant monitoring have to be done to ensure the effectiveness of the filtration system without affecting the environment of the Malayan Tiger, Waterco is confident that they are able to work this out with the Zoo Negara team. By understanding and smoothing out the kinks and hiccups in detail, Waterco is positive that they will be able to equip all the other animals with a clean and quality water environment, where they will be working on a phase-by-phase series. With the start of this project, Waterco hopes to be able to help out the other animal enclosures depending on which enclosure needs urgent help or takes a longer time to fix.
“While we try to be as fast as possible with what we are doing, we know that we cannot be hasty in our work for we don’t want to make it worse for the animals and even for the caretakers. That said, with our long years of expertise in this area and also the expert advice by the caretakers on the behaviour and processes of the zoo, we know this will be beneficial for all in the long run,” concluded Mr Koo.