KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 — Zoo Negara recorded a jump in the number of visitors by up to 40 per cent for the period January to July this year, compared to the same period last year.

Deputy president of Zoo Negara Rosly @ Rahmat Ahmat Lana said the tourism destination received a total of 332,635 visitors for the first seven months of this year compared to 197,386 visitors last year.

"The highest number of visitors received was in July which was 58,063 while the lowest was in February when only 38,413 visitors were recorded.

"This jump in numbers is influenced by the increase in various programmes at the zoo such as the KeeperKu programme (students participate in Wildlife Husbandry and customer service), Zoo Camp, and Feed and Donate, thus successfully attracting the interest of the public and corporate organisations to attend,” he told Bernama.

According to him, among other attractions for the influx of visitors is due to the presence of the ginger cat ‘Oyen’, who is now the ‘Star of Zoo Negara’ following its unique friendship with the giant rat Capybara for the past three years.

A visitor A. Nittiya, 36, was excited to have the opportunity to bring her two children, aged nine and two, and a niece to Zoo Negara after several postponements.

"I think this is an ideal time to be with the family. We were so busy with work and school, now when we have some free time, we ought to go out to have fun while gaining knowledge. Even if the weather is hot, I make sure the children stay active,” she said.

A tourist from Besut, Terengganu, Asraf Azmi also had the chance to take advantage of the free tickets he had received just after celebrating his 31st birthday on July 31.

"After all, it’s been ages since I’ve been here. So, now is the time to bring my children and wife. A lot has changed at Zoo Negara and the children are also very happy because they really love animals, especially when they see Oyen and Capybara in action,” he said.

For Sulastri Oktarina, 39, from Padang, Indonesia, the opportunity to travel to Malaysia for five days with her family gave here the opportunity to visit Zoo Negara and see for herself the uniqueness of the zoo.

"This is our first time here... to take in the sights. The price of ticket is also cheaper than zoos in Indonesia. The location is also clean and there are interesting activities. We are enjoying the visit here,” she said. — Bernama