Zoo Johor records highest visitor numbers on first day of reopening

JOHOR BAHRU:  Zoo Johor recorded its highest number of visitors, nearly 20,000 people, on the first day of its reopening yesterday.

According to Berita Harian, Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor, the Chairman of the State Housing and Local Government Committee, said that the zoo, which was handed over to the state government in 1962, recorded 19,461 visitors yesterday.

“Visitors began queuing as early as 6:30 a.m. to buy tickets until the ticket counters closed at 5 p.m.

“Most of the visitors came from various districts, with only 310 being foreign nationals,” he said in a statement today.

He noted that the 50 percent discount on adult tickets and free admission for children, people with disabilities (OKU), and senior citizens, offered by the Chief Minister, Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, were among the factors contributing to the high attendance yesterday.

“The ticket discounts surely brought great meaning and joy to the people of Johor,” he said.

For yesterday, Mohd Jafni mentioned that the state government provided six buses through the Johor Public Transport Corporation (PAJ), with the buses recording 243 trips and accommodating 14,310 passengers.

However, he also acknowledged that there are still areas for improvement in the zoo’s operations.

“The state government is continually working to ensure the comfort and safety of visitors to this oldest zoo in Malaysia.

“Hopefully, Zoo Johor will become a major tourist attraction, contributing to the success of the Visit Johor Year 2026 agenda,” he said.

Zoo Johor, which had been closed since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent upgrade works, was officially reopened to the public yesterday.

The 96-year-old zoo is located on a 4.73-hectare site and houses a collection of over 275 animals, including tigers, orangutans, elephants, tapirs, birds, and crocodiles.