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The Animals of The National Zoo of Malaysia
20 Photos of Beautiful Animals In Zoo Negara
Welcome to the National Zoo of Malaysia, also known as Zoo Negara in Malay.
In this lens here, I'm going to show you 20 beautiful photos of some of the amazing animal buddies I've met when I went there as a volunteer worker, back in August 2011.
Scroll down, get a cup of coffee, take your time and enjoy the beautiful photos I've taken!
*Sorry for the quality of the photos coz the only thing I was armed with was a 3.2 MP Camera Phone when I worked there as a volunteer back then. Still, I hope you enjoy the photos!
1. The Nile Hippotamus - Meet Mama Hippo and Baby Hippo
These two just came up from their sinkhole and were waiting anxiously to be fed by the keeper!
I feel lucky to have this opportunity to take such a close shot of these magnificent beasts!
You'll meet them soon after you passed the main entrance of the zoo!
2. The Malaysian Elephant - Meet the Largest Terrestrial Animal In Asia
The Malaysian Elephant is actually the same species as the Asian Elephant, Elephas maximus. It is found mainly in India, Southeast Asia and Borneo Island.
This remaining species of the Genus Elephas belongs to the Family Elephantidae, just like its cousin the African Elephant, Loxodonta africana. The main difference between these two are their size and their ears.
3. The Giraffe - The Tallest Animal Alive Today!
Do you know that a giraffe can grow up to nearly 6 meters tall?
And another interesting fact is that despite such a long neck, the giraffe has only 7 bones in its neck, just like ours!
This guy here ain't 6 meters tall and it can easily reach some leaf pieces left on the rock here!
4. The Ostrich - The Largest Bird still Alive Today!
Although the ostrich is the largest BIRD alive today, it is not capable of flight. To compensate this, its powerful legs enable it to run at over 70km per hours for up to 30 minutes!
Another interesting fact is that the males is normally brightly colored with its black and white feathers while the females are dull brown in color.
Well, this guy here is having a break from the exhibits and is staying here at the enclosure with his "wife" that day!
5. The Oryx - Also known as the Beisa
The Oryx or Beisa is a species of antelope found in East Africa and this guy here is resting in its enclosure that day.
The nice blend of white, black and light brown makes it such a beautiful animal, doesn't it? I couldn't keep my eyes off it the first time I saw this beautiful beast.
6. The Sable Antelope - Found in the Wooded Savannah in East Africa
Superb Story: Well, don't ever mess with this guy, it's extremely aggressive! Yes, it's a very beautiful animal to look at but I was almost injured by this guy here.
After taking this shot, I turned my back and talked to the keeper. Next thing I know, its horns are just a few centimeters away from my back, right after a loud bang! It actually came charging at me but the durable wooden fence saved me from its unforgiving horns!
7. The White Rhinoceros - Up close with the Magnificent White Rhino
This photo is taken when the huge but gentle rhinos returned to their enclosure after spending a day at their exhibit to feed on the food I prepared for them earlier.
8. The Arabian Camel - The Arabian or Dromedary Camel has only one hump.
Basically, there are two species of camels under the genus Camelus: the Dromedary or Arabian camel, Camelus dromedarius and the Bactrian camel, Camelus bactrianus.
The Dromedary or Arabian camel has only one hump and originates from dry desert areas of West Asia while the Bactrian camel hails from Central and East Asia.
This guy here is waiting patiently for the arrival of its food!
9. The Spotted Deer - Also known as the Sika Deer
This is a female spotted deer and isn't it such a graceful and elegant animal? Such a beauty...
10. The Gaur - Also known as the Indian Bison
This guy here would embarrass most men with his beautiful muscles, especially those two rhomboid muscles on its back!
11. The Arapaima - One of the Largest Freshwater Fish In the World!
The Arapaima gigas is one of the longest and largest freshwater fish alive today, originating from the South Americas. A fully grown adult can the length of a whopping 3 meters!
The Arapaima gigas is also known as Pirarucu, Paiche or just simply Arapaima. It's also known as "Ju Long Yu" in Chinese which basically means Huge Dragon Fish! It does look like a Dragon, doesn't it?
12. The Porcupine - The 3rd Largest Rodent On Earth
The most interesting feature of the Porcupine is its quills, the sharp spines on its back. These quills come in varying colors and lengths and can be regrown to replace lost ones.
However, the answer to the myth of whether the quills can be projected at the porcupine's enemies is actually, No...
And do you know the quills are hollow? Well, I do and I've been keeping one of them!
13. The Capybara - The Largest Rodent On Earth
The Capybaras are native to South America. They're often found at savannas and dense forests and lives near bodies of water.
I find capybaras very cool animals with its horse-like and happy-go-lucky face, like this one here!
14. The Malayan Tapir - The Largest Species of Tapir
The Malayan Tapir is also known as the Asian Tapir. They are the largest of the 4 species of tapirs and they're the only one native to Asia.
These two were having some nice shuteye while I got a nice quick shot of them!
15. The Humboldt Penguin - Named after the Humbdolft Current
The Humboldt Penguin is a South American penguin, that is found mainly in coastal Peru and Chile.
The penguin is named after the cold water current it swims in, which is itself named after Alexander von Humboldt, an explorer.
16. The Grizzly Bear - One of the Largest Bear in the World!
The Polar Bear is the largest bear in the world but the Grizzly Bear isn't too far behind! An adult Grizzly weighs over 300kg so it's a really big bear, I can tell you that.
I couldn't keep my eyes off the sheer size of this thing! But don't worry, this guy here is friendly and lazy...
You'll find him always taking a nap like this photo here. He's getting some shuteye here at his sinkhole while the keepers were washing it!
17. The Painted Stork - The Bird Who Brought Babies to Mothers
The Painted Storks hail from the wetlands of the plains of tropical Asia south of the Himalayas in South Asia and extending into Southeast Asia.
You can find these birds roaming around freely near its Lake Birds Exhibit and I got this nice snapshot of this elegant bird.
18. The Aldabra Tortoise - The 2nd Largest Tortoise In The World!
This big guy here rivals the Galapagos Tortoise as the largest tortoise in the world and it didn't know I took this shot right behind him!
19. The False Gharial - Also known as the Malayan Gharial, False Gavial and the Tomistoma
The False Gharial got its name because it closely resembles a gharial because of its long narrow snout. However, a true gharial has an even longer and narrower snout!
The main differences between the two are their size and location found. False gharials are smaller and native to six river systems in Sumatra and Malaysia while the True ones are a lot larger and native to India and surrounding countries!
20. Ponies - Found at the Children's World Exhibit
Took this beautiful and romantic shot at the the stars at the Children's World Exhibit.
Aren't they just lovely?
POLL - Your Favorite
Which Animal Would You Love to Meet First When You Visit Zoo Negara?
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Come & Visit Zoo Negara yourself, exclusively in Malaysia to meet all these Fascinating Animals and more!
Learn More About Zoo Negara - Click on these links here to learn more!
- Zoo Negara Official Website
This is the official page of Zoo Negara of Malaysia - Zoo Negara In Wikipedia
Learn about Zoo Negara at Wikipedia