Martin Carvalho and Allison Lai, The Star 30 May 10;
ALOR GAJAH: Animal lovers including celebrities got together here to send out a strong message about cruelty to animals.
The gathering was organised following a controversy about a tiger that’s allegedly being abused at a resort here.
Yesterday’s 30-minute gathering, which included TV personalities Rina Omar and Bernie Chan, took place outside the main entrance of A’ Famosa Resort. It was meant to help create awareness on unethical treatment of animals.
The participants held banners and placards with the words “Stop Prostituting Animals”.
However, they dispersed following a request from the police.
Rina said the gathering was not targeted at the resort but rather as an act of raising public awareness over the unethical use of animals for profit.
“We are here today to send the message across to Malaysians on the need to protect tigers and other wildlife against exploitation.
“Do we want to show the younger generation the animals in their natural state in proper enclosure or do we want to see them being forced to pose for the camera or doing silly tricks?” she asked.
The group refused to take up A’Famosa’s offer of a free tour so that they can see for themselves how the animals were treated.
Resort general manager Allan Chee denied that the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) had issued an order against them.
He explained that Perhilitan officers visited the resort in April and had advised them to stop using their tigers for photography sessions following complaints that this might pose a danger to the people.
A YouTube clip titled “Tiger Being Abused For Money” shows a handler prodding a sedated tiger during a photography session.
Chee denied that the employee concerned has been terminated.
“He left on his own accord.”
Perhilitan is investigating the video posted on YouTube in February.
Malaysian activists protest over Tiger abuse video
Yahoo News 29 May 10;
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – Wildlife activists on Saturday protested at a Malaysian wildlife park over a video posted on YouTube showing a tiger being manhandled for the amusement of visitors.
The two-minute clip shows the handler inviting visitors to take pictures with the tiger while he forces the apparently drowsy animal to sit up and kicks it in the head with his knee to get it to pose.
Around 30 activists took part in the protest outside the A'Famosa resort, saying they were "appalled" by the video, their spokeswoman Rina Omar said.
"We can't support any park that doesn't treat animals the way they should be treated," she said from the resort in central Malacca state.
"The tiger is our national icon, people are really upset about this."
The video sparked criticism from other groups, with Friends of the Earth describing it as "horrible and a disgrace".
The wildlife park insisted staff had not abused the tiger and said they had stopped allowing visitors to take photos with the big cat.
A'Famosa general manager Allan Chee earlier said the tiger "was just drowsy and lazy after being fed" and was being prodded to get into position.
There are only 500 wild tigers believed to be left in peninsular Malaysia, a sharp decline from an estimated 3,000 in the 1950s. The government aims to double the population to 1,000 by 2020.
