At the age of 44, Zoo Negara is a veteran in the zoo industry. It is pretty much the only zoo in Malaysia so they are the monopoly. In any case, with such a long standing history, it only seems right to assume that Zoo Negara has all the answers to being a successful zoo. But alas, it is not a zoo of international standards at all. It is best to describe it as a zoo for the people of Malaysia; ordinary and sufficient. Those who have been to the zoo’s of USA, Australia and Singapore will find Zoo Negara mediocre.

Located in Ampang, the zoo 110 acres of land. It is technically in the state of Selangor but its only 5 minutes from Kuala Lumpur city (depending on which part of the city you are coming from). Over 4000 animals from 400 different species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds and fish supposedly live at the zoo but you won’t be able to see all 4000 of them. You can consider yourself lucky if you manage to spot half of that. The zoo boasts an open concept with spacious exhibits that are beautifully landscaped. Unfortunately, maintenance is an issue and many of these beautiful exhibits are now covered in thick foliage therefore you might not be able to spot the lion or tiger hiding behind the thick bushes.

The exhibits are separated into different groups so you don’t get bears mixing with lions and fishes hanging around with the sea lions. The notable exhibits include the Reptile Park, Malaysian elephants, nocturnal exhibits, bear complex, mammal kingdom, Savannah Walk and the Cat Walk. There is a Humbolt Penguin exhibit for those who have only seen penguins in “Happy Feet”.

Besides its exhibits, Zoo Negara also conducts performances such as the elephant show as well as the nocturnal animal show. It basically doesn’t stray far from other zoo’s around the world so if you’ve seen one, you’ve probably seen them all. There are also food outlets spread all across the zoo to feed the human traffic.

The Malaysian National Zoo is nothing to shout about but if you’re interested in experiencing the zoo Malaysia style it is highly recommended. The natural odour of the animals circulate all over the zoo and the natural landscape is pretty much in tact (due to the lack of pruning). Zoo Negara is open daily from 9am to 5pm and extends its operation hours to 10.30pm on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays. Entrance fee to the zoo is RM15 for adults and RM6 for children below 12 and senior citizens (60 years and above).