Malaysian Zoo to display 9 species of rodents during Chinese New Year

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian National Zoo will display nine species of rodents at the zoo's entrance to greet visitors during Chinese New Year, local media reported on Wednesday.

The capybara, the largest rodent on earth, alongside porcupines, squirrels, prairie dogs and guinea pigs are among the rat species that will be displayed from Feb. 7 to 10.

"We're taking the opportunity to introduce the rodents to the public," zoo director Mohamad Ngah said.

This year, National Zoo would focus on interaction between the zoo staff and visitors to enable the public to learn more about animals, he said.

"We are training 170 staff and volunteers to help visitors understand problems faced by animals rather than just looking at them," the New Straits Times quoted him as saying.

The zoo would conduct research on the frog-killing Chytrid fungus, which has made extinct 30 percent of the frog species since its discovery, he said.