Conservation of the orang utan is the responsibility of all Malaysians, even if the great apes are only found in Sabah and Sarawak.
Plantation and Commodities Ministry secretary-general Datuk Yusran Shah Mohd Yusof said it was important to hold awareness activities in Peninsular Malaysia to instil a sense of shared responsibility about the great ape.
The Bornean orang utan (Pongo pygmaeus) is listed as Critically Endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, with a declining population.
Speaking at an event in conjunction with World Orang Utan Day 2025 at Perak’s Zoo Taiping and Night Safari, Yusran Shah said: “This celebration serves as a bridge of collaboration among organisations and agencies across the country in supporting orang utan conservation centres.”
The event, organised by Malaysian Palm Oil Green Conservation Foundation (MPOGCF) in collaboration with Taiping Municipal Council, brought together over 500 participants from local communities, government agencies and non-governmental organisations.
Activities included a lively Zumba session, while the main draw was a 2.5km Fun Walk taking in the scenic paths through the zoo.
The walk incorporated quizzes and social media engagement, while a lucky draw offered prizes such as home appliances.
Yusran Shah, who is also chairman of the MPOGCF board of trustees, said World Orang Utan Day served as a key platform for the foundation to spread conservation awareness through creative and interactive approaches.
“This year’s event marked the first collaboration between MPOGCF and Zoo Taiping and Night Safari, which is synonymous with wildlife conservation.
“The celebration reflects Malaysia’s commitment to balancing economic development with biodiversity conservation.”
He added that MPOGCF played a vital role in aligning the palm oil sector with conservation goals.
“This approach not only enhances Malaysia’s palm oil image globally but also demonstrates that economic growth and environmental sustainability can go hand in hand.”
He praised Zoo Taiping and Night Safari for successfully combining education, tourism and conservation, setting an example for other agencies to promote compassion towards wildlife.
Orang utan caretaker Ahmad Rahimi Hasbi, 49, said there were currently five orang utan at the zoo – Heaven (32 years old), Veera (25), Wasabi (23), Katrina (22) and six-year-old Qaseh. Veera is the only male among them.
He said the great apes were fed three times a day on a diet of fruits, mainly coconut, papaya, bananas and raisins and sometimes durian, as well as nuts, eggs and milk.
“They’re fed at 10am, 2.30pm and 6.30pm. They’re fed milk before being released into the exhibition area.
“They return to their cages to sleep,” he told reporters.
Ahmad Rahimi added that orang utan shared similarities with humans.
“They sulk when we pretend to feed them but don’t actually give them food.
“We’ll have to feed them afterwards to cheer them up. Some even show affection and respond when we talk to them.
“As long as we feed them on time and care for them properly, they’re quite easy to handle,” he said.
Ahmad Rahimi said one of the biggest challenges in caring for the orang utan was preventing them from escaping.
“They’re very clever,” he said, adding that if the animals found branches or sticks, they could use them as tools.
“That’s the tricky part, keeping them under control while managing visitors,” he said.
Another caretaker Mohamad Syafiq Amin Sharifudin, 28, who joined the team two years ago, said Wasabi had grown quite close to him.
“Wasabi likes to be pampered by me,” he said, adding that it usually took around two to three months for caretakers to build trust with an orang utan.
“In the beginning, it was quite difficult as they didn’t recognise me as their caretaker and wouldn’t listen to me.
“After two to three months, they began to get attached to the keepers,” he said.
The celebration also featured exhibitions by key strategic partners such as Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil, Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Malaysian Palm Oil Council, Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan), Wildlife Rescue Unit, Sawit Kinabalu, Yayasan Pulau Orang Utan Bukit Merah and Felda.
Present at the event were Defence Ministry deputy secretary-general (development) and MPOGCF board member Datuk Abdul Hadi Omar, Taiping Municipal Council secretary Hasmonaliza Hassan Basari, zoo director Dr Muhamad Ridhwan Affendi and MPOGCF general manager Hairulazim Mahmud.
Source: The Star
