ID :
197798
Thu, 07/28/2011 - 08:20
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/197798
The shortlink copeid
MALAYSIAN PALM OIL CHIEF HITS OUT AT ORANG UTAN TREATMENT AT MELBOURNE ZOO
MELBOURNE, July 28 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Palm Oil Council's chief executive
Dr Yusof Basiron has lashed out at the treatment of orang utans at the Melbourne
Zoo here, describing it as deplorable and a disgrace.
Dr Yusof told Bernama he made a quick visit to the zoo to check out the
anti-palm oil signs outside the orang utan enclosures and was appalled at the
way they were screaming for attention in the winter cold.
"They were shivering and making noises which I recognised them as distress
calls," he said.
"Orang utans are tropical animals and find it extremely hard to survive in
biting cold temperatures. At the Melbourne zoo, orang utans had just sack cloth
to cover themselves in the cold.
"But the sack cloth was small and they were struggling to get it round their
huge bodies. I felt very sorry for these poor animals. Unlike human beings,
orang utans cannot complain and their distress screams appeared to be ignored by
the zoo," he said.
Dr Yusof said he could not believe his eyes when he saw food for the orang
utans being placed in the open so that zoo visitors could see how the animals
ate.
"This was a poor show, just pandering to the delights of the people but to
the extreme cruelty to the orang utans," he said.
Yusof, who is accompanying the Minister of Plantation Industries and
Commodities, Bernard Dompok, on his eight-day working mission to Australia, said
Australian animal welfare authorities should investigate "the pathetic
conditions" for orang utans at the zoo as well as other zoos in Australia.
"It is utter cruelty to the orang utans. The zoo must understand these are
animals from the tropics and adequate protection should be given to them during
winter. Their enclosures must be warm and made comfortable."
Dr Yusof suspects having the orang utans in such degrading captivity was to
win public support in Australia in the campaign against a tropical industry and
the use of palm oil products.
He said having anti-palm oil signs at the zoo was to win public sympathy and
to misrepresent the orang utan issue.
"Australians must visit our orang utan sanctuaries in Malaysia and see how
well the animals are taken care of.
"There is something sinister behind the campaign by western NGOs to ruin the
palm oil industry," he said.
-- BERNAMA
Dr Yusof Basiron has lashed out at the treatment of orang utans at the Melbourne
Zoo here, describing it as deplorable and a disgrace.
Dr Yusof told Bernama he made a quick visit to the zoo to check out the
anti-palm oil signs outside the orang utan enclosures and was appalled at the
way they were screaming for attention in the winter cold.
"They were shivering and making noises which I recognised them as distress
calls," he said.
"Orang utans are tropical animals and find it extremely hard to survive in
biting cold temperatures. At the Melbourne zoo, orang utans had just sack cloth
to cover themselves in the cold.
"But the sack cloth was small and they were struggling to get it round their
huge bodies. I felt very sorry for these poor animals. Unlike human beings,
orang utans cannot complain and their distress screams appeared to be ignored by
the zoo," he said.
Dr Yusof said he could not believe his eyes when he saw food for the orang
utans being placed in the open so that zoo visitors could see how the animals
ate.
"This was a poor show, just pandering to the delights of the people but to
the extreme cruelty to the orang utans," he said.
Yusof, who is accompanying the Minister of Plantation Industries and
Commodities, Bernard Dompok, on his eight-day working mission to Australia, said
Australian animal welfare authorities should investigate "the pathetic
conditions" for orang utans at the zoo as well as other zoos in Australia.
"It is utter cruelty to the orang utans. The zoo must understand these are
animals from the tropics and adequate protection should be given to them during
winter. Their enclosures must be warm and made comfortable."
Dr Yusof suspects having the orang utans in such degrading captivity was to
win public support in Australia in the campaign against a tropical industry and
the use of palm oil products.
He said having anti-palm oil signs at the zoo was to win public sympathy and
to misrepresent the orang utan issue.
"Australians must visit our orang utan sanctuaries in Malaysia and see how
well the animals are taken care of.
"There is something sinister behind the campaign by western NGOs to ruin the
palm oil industry," he said.
-- BERNAMA
