JOHOR BAHRU – The night safari at Johor Zoo is expected to open by the end of 2025, said state executive councillor Mohd Jafni Md Shukor.
The Johor housing and local government committee chairman said Mentri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi had approved RM5 million (S$1.52 million) for phase two of the zoo’s upgrading works, scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2025.
“We recently presented a proposal to upgrade facilities such as parking spaces and animal enclosures, which has been approved.
“Once the upgrades are complete, we expect 80 per cent of the zoo to become more accessible for the elderly, people with disabilities and parents with strollers.
“Additionally, we aim to launch the night safari in the fourth quarter of this year,” Datuk Mohd Jafni said at his office in Kota Iskandar.
To accommodate the anticipated rise in visitors and vehicles, the Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB) is planning to invest RM10 million to transform a plot of land opposite the zoo, near Jalan Gertak Merah, into a carpark.
“There is currently a slight bend in the road that will be straightened to make way for the new parking area,” he said.
A study is also under way to explore the use of a parking area in front of the Sultan Abu Bakar Mosque, although that land is privately owned.
“We are also looking into creating a pedestrian crossing between these parking areas and the zoo before the night safari officially opens,” said Mr Mohd Jafni.
He added that there were plans for an additional 200 parking bays at the Ayer Molek Prison site.
“The prison grounds now serve as the main parking area for zoo visitors, with around 400 parking bays available.
“MBJB also intends to convert the old prison into a night market to complement the night safari,” Mr Mohd Jafni said, adding that the night market would be held only during weekends.
Earlier, Datuk Onn Hafiz was reported as saying that the state government was considering introducing a night safari at Johor Zoo to attract more visitors.
He had said that 500,000 local and international visitors had visited the zoo since its reopening on Aug 31, 2024.
Johor Zoo reopened following RM9.6 million upgrading works over the past three years.
The zoo currently has 373 animals from 65 species. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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