Malaysia King An Animal Lover

By Asmahanim Amir ALOR SETAR (Kedah,Malaysia), May 31 (Bernama) -- Malaysia King, Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, who is known to have a deep passion for nature, also has a mini zoo at the Anak Bukit Palace here, to ensure that his various pets are being well taken care of. Zookeeper, Nur Shafaizal Zahari, 31, said before being installed as the 14th Agong, the Sultan of Kedah would spent about two hours every morning, from 8.30am to 10.30am, to visit the mini zoo before leaving for his office. "As soon as he returned from the office at 4.30pm, he would come here and play with the animals again," he told Bernama. Nur Shafaizal, who has been working there over the past 12 years, said Tuanku Abdul Halim's love for animal was so strong that he had once took a badly injured bird, which he found by the roadside, to be given appropriate treatment at the zoo. The mini zoo, which was built on a 2.34 hectare site, has a pond and various types of animals, including 20 bird species, which he had petted since they were young. Nur Shafaizal said among the bird species were parrots, peacocks, hornbills, a blue and gold Macaw, and a 'Cenderawasih' or the bird of paradise. Other animals available at the mini zoo are reindeers, horses, porcupines, Maine Coon cats, baby crocodiles, marmosets, white-headed monkeys, rabbits and ferrets, as well as black and white swans. The zoo also has an aquarium showcasing arapaima gigas and arowana fish, he said. Nur Shafaizal also said that sometimes Tuanku Abdul Halim would give his favourite birds a bath, and that the King was sensitive and very understanding when it came to these animals. "Throughout my career here, I have learned so much from His Majesty on how to take good care of the animals. Sometimes, we tend to lose temper with the animals' antics. "Tuanku Abdul Halim used to feed the fish in the pond on a regular basis. He forbade us from throwing bread crumbs at the fish. Instead, he always put the bread crumbs onto his palm and lower it into the pond. The fish will then come to him. He said if we threw in the fish feed, the fish will not obey us," Nur Shafaizal said. Nur Shafaizal said he was once reprimanded by the King when the latter saw him being too rough with a bird. "His Majesty then told me that the animal shouldn't be treated badly as they will be stubborn. They need to be caressed," he said. The zookeeper said the King's most favourite bird was 'Joni', a rhinoceros hornbill. Nur Shafaizal said the zoo would only be opened for visitors from schools and institutions of higher learning with permission from the Sultan of Kedah's Office. "A group of visitors had once arrived when the King was petting the animals at the zoo. So, they got a royal treatment as they were personally guided and entertained by the King," he said. (photoBERNAMA) MALAYSIA