Kinda like relatives... although I still can't comprehend why in the Hakka dialect, Yong means Bear instead of Goat... my surname is Bear in Chinese for those who don't know... so Yong Tau Foo is never my nickname... albeit after the fatal Chemerong's Revenge aka chin-ache, Auntie Sarah started calling me Goat instead of the acting-cute BEAR BEAR... the scar really looks like a goatie...
Enough of crap, actually it was the Z** Neg*ra Volunt**r Programme I joined through A-Levels Club. Quite a number of OUR CLUB members (OUR CLUB is an official club for AUSMAT students in KBU, peculiar name huh?) joined this: Yours truly, Chan, Leong, Fern, Sarah, Daniel, Zee Man, Nicholas, Gabriel, Jonathan...
Upon arrival, every one suddenly got very interested to visit the National Zo*'s lavatory and some desperados entered the wrong sex cubicles... And some are scared to death by this snake lingering near the toilet... OTICE BOA, new species eh?
(For those whose minds can't think laterally or those without a brain, it's a n-OTICE BOA-rd)
After the horrific spelling scare, we were grouped into groups and my team was sent to the Zo* Veterinary Hospital. It was one of the coolest part where teams are sent to!
Besides greeted by Mr Khairul, the zoo guide, we met this cute geometric tortoise which Calvin the walking encyclopaedia remembers as hailing from South Africa. I did not what sickness this cute creature has, but it seems pretty happy in its bowl of lettuce...
Then we met this majestic lioness in captivity. IT WAS HUGE!!! Mr Khairul said she had her tail amputated because of some infections. I really pity her...
However, voluntary jobs aren't really that interesting as you may think. In fact most voluntary jobs aren't interesting. We were asked to sweep the hospital compound with the most prehistoric lidi broom you've ever seen and man the stick is SHORT!!!! Torture for a guy like me...
Boredom is just something self-induced. With hyper Nick and chatty Gab, sweeping leaves was a fun process. Even the hyena in the cage outside laughed with us... Soon the compound was clean!
Job done and Mr Really-Kind-Khairul allowed us to have a stroll in the zoo to look at all the animals. First there was this girl who wanted to feed the hippopotamus with sweet potatoes but accidentally threw and hit the fleshy lips of the hippo... The hippo must be pretty angry! Then we saw other volunteers cleaning up leaves in the bear's captivity... oh, that was hard! Thank God they were separated from the bears by an electric fence.
And how I can forget how animals looked at Leong! Remember that lioness in the hospital? There was once Leong face his butt to the lion and WHOA! The lioness moved towards him... So scary! She must have taken him for food. Then there was this seladang, the cow with stockings on looking intently at him. And Leong was wearing a red T-shirt. We were anxious that the bull will start kicking his hooves and start chasing after us... Conclusion: Animals can be quite judgemental too...
10.30 a.m. and we obedient voluntary workers went back to the Hospital. This time the job was even more boring. Recording all the expired veterinary medicines. First there were all these super long-named vaccines and then some were without expiry dates and those with expiry dates dating from 1993 (for future readers: we visited the zoo in 2008). And I smeared some hippo or elephant or whatever pachyderm anti-bloating oil on my hand...
The whole process was mind torturing and I just hated recording long names... After two hours of brain jam, finally all was done and ready to throw. Mr Khairul had this fun job of pouring out all the pills and vitamins out which looks really like candies.
What soon came after that, no one wanted to experience... Leong and Nick volunteered to carry the expired medicines to the disposal site. And guess where is it? ZOO MORTUARY...
Mr Khairul opened the door to HELL and a stench of doom rushed out to those standing outside. In the abyss, there were two dead lions with their legs coming out. It's amazing how Mr Khairul can deal with such carcasses. And it sure took lots of gut for Nick and Leong to enter that forsaken place and with the speed of lightning they ran for their lives...
However, they are going to have a tough time washing clothes saturated with dead lion odour...
Overall it was still enjoyable and we really thanked Mr Khairul for allowing to work in his work place!
Randomness: Does this look like Chan?
or THIS?
The very cool Zo* Veterinary Hospital!!!
Calvin being eaten by a lion and Leong eating the lion...
Lions eat human, human eat lion world
A small group picture...
After the voluntary programme, we had time to visit more animals...especially when there are only two of them stuck in an equitorial hot country like ours with no air conditioning
Cute Leaf Monkey eating something
Nicholas and the elephants under umbrella
The three VERY TALL giraffes and the three STOOGES
Group Picture YEAH!!!
The whole trip to Zo* Negara was really exciting with all those animals and humans. However, I really feel sad for Zo* Negara. Now I understand why it isn't maintained well. It is not because the zoo keepers are lazy but lack of funding. Less people are coming and there is insufficient staff. Supposedly to-be-veterinaries like Mr Khairul had to do all the menial job of sweeping the area besides helping all the sick animals. The government should really make an effort to make it a better place for conservation of animals. Meanwhile, while we are hoping that almost impossible outcome, try your best to be part of the Zo* Negara Volunt**r programme. You'll benefit tonnes from it!
