One of Zoo Melaka’s own tigers is home again, and this time he’s here for a match.
Home after two years away
King King, a male Malayan tiger weighing 171 kilograms and about 18 years old, arrived back at Zoo Melaka in Ayer Keroh on 12 August. He originally came from Zoo Melaka before spending more than two years at Zoo Negara as part of a breeding management programme, and his return was arranged by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN) as a translocation from the National Wildlife Rescue Centre in Sungkai, Perak.
A new pairing for conservation
Zoo Melaka now plans to pair King King with Pia, a female Malayan tiger. The match is part of Malaysia’s Malayan Tiger Breeding Programme (MyBIT), which works to grow the captive population of a species with fewer than 150 individuals left in the wild.
Zoo Melaka’s Malayan tigers, including conservation ambassadors Ciko, Zana and Pia, are already among the zoo’s biggest visitor draws, doubling as a hands-on introduction to why the species is under such pressure.
Planning your visit
Zoo Melaka is Malaysia’s second-largest zoo, home to more than 1,200 animals across 200-plus species, and sits in Ayer Keroh alongside a butterfly garden and night safari programme. It’s an easy add-on to a Melaka family itinerary, and one more reason to time your trip around the zoo’s ongoing tiger conservation work.
