PETALING JAYA: Nine Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia students have raised RM6,800 in donations through a National Zoo conservation project called “Zoo Keeper for a Day”.
The self-styled Frontbenchers team also purchased 55 durable benches to support the infrastructure at the zoo while the money will go towards food, medical care and other expenses.
Team president Ang Yuwei said the two-day event, which aimed to raise awareness on the significance of biodiversity, wildlife management and conservation, was held on Feb 3 and 17.
“We chose to focus our final year project on corporate social responsibility to apply the knowledge and skills acquired from our Masters in Business Administration course.
“This includes showcasing our project management skills, effectively delegating tasks among team members, controlling costs, leveraging social media platforms to promote awareness of animal conservation and engaging corporate and public entities for support.”
She said Frontbenchers actively engaged with corporations and public entities to secure sponsorship for the National Zoo.
“We covered various initiatives dedicated to promoting animal conservation and launched an Instagram account called ‘wildhaven_zoo”.’
Ang said students from various educational establishments were also invited to participate in the project, which provided them with opportunities to experience the daily responsibilities carried out by zookeepers.
She said on Feb 3, participants took part in animal care, actively interacted and assisted zookeepers in tasks such as cleaning enclosures, preparing food and ensuring the overall well-being of the animals.
“We gained valuable insights into the complexities of caring for captive animals and deepened our understanding of various aspects of wildlife conservation.”
She said students found the programme exciting and educational, with some looking forward to participating in future projects.
Ang added that participants thoroughly enjoyed the experience and appreciated the efforts of zookeepers in maintaining a good habitat for the animals.
“We also learned about the habits of different species and gained experience in taking care of them.”
She said on Feb 17, the team had corporate professionals taking part as they sought donations from them for the zoo.
“We wanted corporate professionals to have similar experiences as (we did), so they too would appreciate what it costs to run a zoo and manage it on a day-to-day basis.
“We gained insights into food preparation and animal behaviour, apart from learning about captive animal husbandry and management.
“As the world modernises, we tend to destroy natural habitats of wild animals. We hope the public and corporations will take proactive steps to preserve animal habitats and prevent extinction of endangered species before it is too late.“
