Ensuring Animal Welfare in Zoos’ Operations: A Comparative Note on Malaysian and Japanese Legislation

Abstract

This paper compares the operations of zoo regulations in Malaysia and Japan with special emphasis on animal welfare. Zoos are a major tourist attraction and house of various wildlife species either for display purposes or for animal performances. The main concern in this regard is the welfare of the animals in terms of their enclosures, diet, health, etc. The legislations of the two countries are examined to compare their similarities and differences. The methodological approach of this paper is purely legal and is limited to provisions in the relevant statutes. This study concludes that Malaysia has more comprehensive regulations on zoo operations compared to Japan.