JOHOR BAHRU, The upgrading works at the Johor Zoo have been completed and the facility is now in the final preparation phase before reopening to the public. State Housing and Local Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor said this phase involves a thorough cleaning of the zoo grounds. 'Besides cleaning, this phase includes organising the workforce and the e-ticketing system, enhancing landscaping and installing signage,' he told Bernama when contacted. He said the reopening date for Malaysia's oldest zoo is expected to be announced by Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi on Aug 16. Previously, Mohd Jafni said that the reopening of the Johor Zoo scheduled for last April has been postponed to August due to unexpected upgrade works. Spanning 12.5 hectares on Jalan Gertak Merah here, the zoo will feature approximately 320 animals from 73 species, including 18 mammals, 13 reptiles, eight primates and 34 birds. Mohd Jafni said the upgrades include improvements to the drainage system, animal enclosures, ticketing system and parking areas. In February last year, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, decreed that Johor Zoo would undergo a facelift and said it should become a new tourism destination in the state to attract visitors from home and abroad. His Majesty said that the zoo, which was opened in 1928, is a legacy of the late Sultan Sir Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Sir Abu Bakar, and at that time, it was named 'Kebun Binatang'. Source: BERNAMA News Agency