The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) has called on the government to reconsider the “archaic” concept of zoos, claiming it is no longer necessary in the modern era and comes at a hefty cost.

Its president Mohideen Abdul Kader said the Covid-19 pandemic has also revealed the harsh reality that it is time to phase zoos out.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has posed a serious challenge to zoo operations because they generally survive on gate collections, rentals, and...