HIS gruff demeanour belies a soft heart perhaps a softness reserved only for animals

New Sunday Times,

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Dr Vellayan aim hisanimal kingdomHIS gruff demeanour belies a soft heart perhapsa softness reserved onlyfor animalsHe is known for his directnessof speech no beating aroundthe bush when he has something to say He is also infamousfor his long drawn out taleswhich often involve a tale within a taleAnd his flair for drama is legendary Sudden outbursts coupled with the thumping of thetable stressing a point are notunusualDecorum and pleasantriesare often ignored for at the endof the day for Dr S Vellayan2014just Dr V to the folks in hiscircle 2014 it is always abouttheanimalsHaving dedicated the last 27years of his life to the animalsof Zoo Negara Malaysia s national zoo veterinarian Dr Vellayan retired in April this yearThree decades of serving asthe country s first wildlife veterinarian he spent his last fewweeks packing his books filespersonal collectibles and memoriesThis Is where I have spentmy entire working life I startedhere and I ended here hesays reminiscing as he sortslaminated news articles datingback to the 1970s dustingbooks before popping them intolabelled boxesSo much time all reducedinto a few boxesThere is something to be saidabout a man whose resume is27 pages long detailing publications and professional qualifications conferences attendedand papers presented lecturesand interviews given of winning Pulbright scholarships notonce but twiceAnd even newspaper articlesabout himself of which thereare numerous pieces in variouslanguagesEssentially his resume tells ofhis life experiences Readingbetween the many lines of hisresume one can t help but notice the recurring theme 2014hislove for wildlifet is obvious that accoladesspeak far more than just professional achievements butrather recognition of a man slifelong passion an interestwhich became a vocation tohelp wild animals in captivityDr Vellayan was born in 1952to a couple living on Carey Island Port Klang The familywas not well off which is whyeducation was of utmost importanceMy mother especially pushedme to study hard and makesomething of myself so I wouldhave a good life he sharesShe even pawned her jewelsfor my studiesWhen he was young he figured he would become a teacher but that dream was shelvedwhen he was diagnosed anasthmatic The blackboard anddusty chalk scenario wouldn thave been the best thing forhimSo he looked for other options and considered medicinedentistry and veterinarymedicine Accepted by a university in India into its veterinarymedicine course he was excited yet apprehensiveHe had little idea where hislife s journey would take him Itwas a tough time there but hemade it and returned proudlyarmed with his degreeHe was however in for arude shock 2014 theexistingwildlife institutions did not havea position for a veterinarianIt wasn t easy in the dayswhen honourable professionswere few and animal relatedwork was hardly considered acareerHe read an article that saidthat the zoo should have its ownveterinarian So he took achance and wrote in but waspolitely declined But he persisted applying and re applying until Zoo Negara took himonboard in 1981Finally it really was like adream had come true to workwith animals My mother wasworried because instead ofworking with domestic animalsI was going to work with tigersand elephants he remembersYet I felt no fear 1 was already exposed to working withwild primates during the courseof my studies and I knew whatto expectHe does carry some battlewounds though Over theyears Dr Vellayan has beengored by a rhinoceros and bitten by a tapir but none so serious that it made him rethinkhis choice of careerIt s just part of the job hesays nonchalantlyWorking with the zoo s orangutans made him particularlyhappy He enjoyed a special relationship with the red hairedapes although he insists hedoes not have a favourite animal or speciesA vet shouldn t havefavourites all must be treatedequally he says But flickingthrough his personal collectionof photographs reveals numerous shots with Punky ManjaWira 2014 all orangutansHe remembers Wira fondlythe orang utan which he handraised because its mother lanehad the habit of killing her offspringsMe a bachelor dad with anappy wearing orang utansleeping on my chestWira was the zoo s posterchild and was the nationalmascot for Visit Malaysia YearHe was the darling of the zooand of the public His suddendeath in a freak accident leftmany reeling especially the vetwho had himIt was terrible I had to conduct a post mortem on him itwas one of the most difficultthings I had to do he remembersDealing with young animalshowever probably gave him thehands on experience needed toeventually nurture his own twochildren a daughter who ispursuing a career in educationlike her mother and his 14year old sonD CONTINUED ON NEXT PACED FROM PREVIOUS PAGEWith a dad like Dr Vellayan lifeat home was far from ordinary andthe kids would never know if thebox under his arm held a toy or anorphaned animal in need of careWhen his pet hamster died myson asked me to conduct a postmortem on him laughs Dr VellayanWhile the well being of the zooanimals was his primary responsibility much of his spare time wasspent on research in the hope thatstudies on captive specimens wouldbenefit the conservation of wildpopulations He cited his work ondiseases in leaf monkeys as an exampleAmong his notable contributionsover the years are the establishment of the zoo s Animal Hospitalm 1990 the establishment of husbandry protocols with the assistance of colleagues students andvolunteers especially with regardto preventive medicine and mentorship to students who have hadthe zoo as their training groundOver the years he notes thatthere seems to be an increased interest in the veterinary professionin particular wildlife medicine andconservationThis he finds extremely excitingand a far cry from the way thingswere 30 years agoThis is probably a result ofgreater awareness about wildliferelated work Today finally it isconsidered a well respected careerchoiceDr Vellayan has himself givenmany career guidance talks in localuniversities in the hope of inspiringyoung Malaysians to work for animalsAlthough he is retiring from thezoo he has no plans to retire fromthe Geld In the pipeline are a privateexotic animal practice consultancywork with zoos teaching and trainingMalaysia is a country wherewildlife experts are few despite thefact that the country has almost 50zoos and is one of the 12 megadiversity nations of the worldIn the course of his time workingwith wildlife Dr Vellayan hastouched and inspired many He canbe credited in part for an increasing number of students keen towork with and for wildlifeHis one regret is perhaps notspending enough time with hisloved onesBut I will make it up to themhe says now that I will have moretime on my handsKnowing him though there won tbe much time wasted before thosehands are working with wildlife2014what he loves and knows best

Dr Vellayan Aim His Animal Kingdom

http://psasir.upm.edu.my/2905/1/20080622_N_NSST_FC_pg32%2C33_Dr_Vellayan_and_his.pdf

Dr Vellayan Aim His Animal Kingdom

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