Muhyiddin must apologise for inferring non-Muslims behind dog bathing video, says Pakatan

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin should apologise for jumping the gun and blaming non-Muslims for being behind a video clip depicting a dog undergoing ablution similar to Muslims before prayers, DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang said today.

"He should apologise for condemning the video without checking the facts," said the Gelang Patah MP in a statement in Kuala Lumpur today.

Muslim dog trainer Maznah Mohd Yusof, 38, had recorded a Raya greeting video three years ago that showed her washing dogs' paws while the call for Azan is heard in the background.

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Jumbo calf fitting in at sanctuary

A staff member at Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary staff member feeding the calf formulated milk from a bottle yesterday.

3-month-old found near oil palm mill in Jerantut last week

TEMERLOH: BARELY a week ago, a 3-month-old elephant calf was found near an oil palm mill in Jerantut and almost died of starvation after being separated from its herd.

Now, the female calf is adapting to its new surroundings at the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary in Lanchang, near here, under the watchful eye of its keepers.

Without its mother, the 40kg calf has to be fed specially formulated milk four times daily and is being monitored for any sign of illness.

Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) elephant unit head Nasaruddin Othman said they were initially worried when the calf refused to drink milk on the day it arrived.

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Sabah pygmy elephants confirmed poisoned

Handout pic from the Sabah Wildlife Department on Jan 29, 2013, showing Baby Joe, the only pygmy elephant still alive from the herd of 14 found dead at the Gunung Rara Forest, near Tawau, Sabah.

The 14 pygmy elephants which were found dead at a forest reserve near Tawau, Sabah, in January were killed by severe poisoning, Sabah State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, Masidi Manjun said yesterday.

Chemical analysis by Australian experts showed that the elephants' remains contained high levels of heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, iron and chromium, Masidi was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India (PTI).

He added that the authorities were still trying to track down the culprits.

"These metals are usually found around mining, smelting or waste disposal operations. However, this does not make sense as there is no such activity in the area," Masidi said.

White powder substance found near the body of one of the dead elephants also contained the same ingredients, said Masidi in his winding-up speech at the State Assembly sitting yesterday when replying to a question from Kapayan assemblyman Dr Edwin Bosi.

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Zoo Negara to get a world-class facelift

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri G. Palanivel (centre) visiting the construction site of the giant panda enclosure at Zoo Negara yesterday

ZOO Negara will be getting a facelift soon to be on a par with other world-class zoos.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri G. Palanivel said many of the current facilities were unsuitable and needed to be upgraded to attract more visitors.

"The ministry has discussed this with the prime minister (Datuk Seri Najib Razak) and he has agreed to the upgrading and improvement of the entire environment at the zoo. A budget is being prepared to be tabled at the cabinet meeting."

He said the facelift would also allow the zoo to start operating at night, like the Singapore and Taiping zoos.

"We will prepare a conducive environment to allow the zoo to operate at night.

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Stronger ties through panda diplomacy

MCA is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the baby giant pandas from China, saying that they will further strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.

Party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China was mutually beneficial and this was important in areas like trade, culture and education.

“In fact, our relationship with all countries in the world has became better under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

“We always value good government-to-government relationship and respect countries which place emphasis on this,” he said on Tuesday.

Malaysia will soon be home to two iconic but endangered giant pandas after tomorrow's signing of an agreement between the Government and the China Wildlife Conservation to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and China.

Zoo makeover - Bank staff join worldwide colleagues in CR initiatives

KEEPING COOL: A tiger swims in the spruced-up waters in Zoo Negara

Zoo Negara received a solid sprucing up from more than 500 pairs of hands from Maybank’s virtual banking department recently.

Together with president and chief executive officer Datuk Sri Abdul Wahid Omar, the bank staff cleaned and painted animal enclosures, did general landscaping work and also repainted the tiger “footprints” around the compound.

Police wash hands off Petknode fiasco

Petaling Jaya police today admitted that they are not investigating the owners of Petknode under the penal code for cheating and theft since the case has been brought to Selangor Department of Veterinary Service.

This is in spite of the fact that more than 30 cat owners have lodged police reports at Sungai Buloh Police Station against the two shop operators for criminal cheating last night.

When pressed by animal welfare activists and pet owners at Bukit Aman today, a police official on the scene, ASP Foo said general law would not be used when there is a specific law concerning the issue.

"Since DVS (Selangor Department of Veterinary Service) is investigating the issue, we are not doing any investigations until they finish," he told the 10-people group.

Malaysian Animal Rights Society (ROAR) President N. Surendran, however, argued that the police would not need to wait for DVS to pursue the probe on cheating.

"This is a clear-cut cheating case, Petknode has taken money from the owner, and promised them for good care on their pets. But that did not happen," he said.

He added that police can immediately classify the case under section 420 of the Penal Code.

Anger over deaths of pets left in boarding home

More than 100 people outraged by the death of 16 cats and the near-fatal neglect of hundreds more by a pet boarding home, will gather at Sungai Buloh police station tonight to demand that action be taken against the centre.

The owners who sent their cats to the centre over the Hari Raya holidays will report the two operators of the home for criminal neglect.

Together, the group hopes to pressure the authorities to arrest the operators, trace the other outlets they may have, and put them behind bars.

100 missing cats

Concerned and angry cats owners, Malaysia Animal Welfare Society, Selangor SPCA and other animal welfare groups submitted a memorandum urging the police to locate the missing cats.