An Unexpected Visit to Zoo Johor (Johor Zoo)

As I walked up the hill to the Mosque early one morning I couldn’t but help notice some signs of animals to my immediate right.  Conveniently placed adjacent to Sultan Abu Bakar Mosque, Zoo Johor appeared very quiet, as if it wanted to be explored. But before I could, I had to wait about 45 minutes for it to open.  This provided ample time for me to photograph the Mosque and then walk the short 100 meters over to the Zoo.

Since I had no idea that Johor Bahru had a Zoo, I also had no idea how much it costed to enter.  When I purchased an entrance ticket for a meagre RM 2 (approximately $0.75 USD), I was immediately excited to see if this was one of those unheard of tourist bargains.  That’s exactly what it turned out to be.

The Johor Zoo staff quickly handed me over a brochure and I was on my way to explore this urban safari. I was immediately impressed with the different types of animals in the brochure and displayed on the signs throughout the Zoo. Since some of the names were in Bahasa I had no idea what would be in some of the cages and small patches of green lungs throughout Zoo Johor.

Since I arrived at the Zoo in the middle of the week, I had complete freedom to take photos and walk around at my own pace. It didn’t take me long to notice that some of the cages and cement structures around the Zoo were quite dilapidated and in need of a face lift.  Hopefully, in the near future improvements can be made. On a positive note, however, I truly enjoyed watching some animals that I had never seen before – such as the Malaysian sun bear and the ever impressive hippopotamus.

The Johor Zoo also has some other noteworthy headliners on site including camels, deer, tigers and a wide range of bird species. Photographing some of these animals can get quite challenging due to the fences and cages partially occluding your view, but it’s still worthwhile to bring your camera along especially if you have children.

 When you are at Johor Zoo there are also small vendors who are selling drinks and snacks if you want to take a break from the action. These are also very affordable.  Tourist sites that are supposed to cater to young families with children are becoming more expensive by the day, so it’s refreshing to visit such a reasonably-priced attraction.

Similar to my experience in Johor, I would recommend booking your room in downtown Johor Bahru and passing by Sultan Abu Bakar Mosque and Johor Zoo during the same morning. Once you are at one of these locations it is impossible to miss the other.