The Lok Kawi Zoo is a zoo operated by Sabah Wildlife and Forestry Department, a local wildlife authority under Sabah's state Ministry for Tourism Development, Environment, Science and Technology. The zoo was once a pride of the state.
I remember visiting the zoo numerous times in the past. Those days, the entrance fee was RM5 for Malaysian adults. After the Covid pandemic, I decided to relive my past experiences in the zoo. On a hot Friday morning, I drove from my house to the zoo about 20km from Kota Kinabalu city. On arriving, I bought the ticket, which now costs RM10 for a Malaysian adult. Considering our inflation recently, the ticket price was acceptable.
Upon entering the zoo, I found no restaurants, but I was already prepared for it. Having read some comments about the zoo, I brought my own food and drinks. Journeying down the familiar paths, I found that the zoo was different from what it was previously. The tram service was no longer operating, so everyone had to walk, but since the zoo is located on flat land, that was not a big problem.
The birds, such as hornbills and cassowary, were no longer in pairs. The once-beloved animals, such as tigers and orangutans, are left in solitude without companions. In fact, they seem very distressed. The caption below shows an orangutan resting underneath a platform, and if we were to look around, there were no other shades available in the animals' enclosures. The enclosures of the binturongs are in no better condition; the shade was dilapidated, and the animals had to crowd in a small space. And the huge hornbill was trapped in a small cage, which means that eventually, this bird would forget how to fly.
Apart from the animal enclosures, I no longer remember seeing the reptile house. Then the harimau dahan cats had probably died as these cats were missing from their enclosures. The botanical gardens are closed, with no sign of any reopening in the future. And the fierce pony in the middle of the zoo is gone too. Even the common otters have been reduced to a handful swimming in their enclosure.
In conclusion, this is indeed a very sad place to go to. I had gone to the zoo to search for peace but came out feeling distressed like the animals. Since the zoo is under the state Ministry of Tourism, I would like to urge the ministry to do something about the zoo before all the precious animals are gone. A good zoo is the pride of every state and nation, and we should never let it run down like it is today. We don't need fanciful LED lights on our street, nor all the I love signboards sprouting everywhere, but we do need a respectable zoo with our hornbills and orangutans.
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