Since the reviews about Just Pets Megastore have been raving and overwhelmingly positive, it’s high time I experienced the joys of mingling with farm animals.
Heralded as the largest indoor petting zoo in Malaysia, Just Pets is located on the 1st floor of Tropicana Gardens Mall, Petaling Jaya.
While the friendly staff encourages and facilitates interaction with the animals, the petting zoo’s small size, barren enclosure, and hefty entrance fee left me confused.
If the goal is to learn more about animals, you’ll get more bang for your buck at Zoo Negara or Farm in the City. Bring on the blistering sun and all!
About Just Pets Megastore
Just Pets Megastore is the largest indoor petting zoo in Malaysia. Sprawling across 99,000 square feet of Tropicana Garden Mall, Just Pets petting zoo comprises 3 sections: Just Farm, Just Cats, and Just Dogs.
Just Farm features a collection of farm animals visitors can feed and pet. You’ll find sheep, alpacas, goats, ducks, hamsters, miniature horses, rabbits, iguanas, and some odd non-farm animals. The tortoises, capybaras, raccoons, and kangaroos are rare sightings at barns. But yes they are residents of Just Farm too.
If sharing the space petting over 100 prancing felines is your ideal bliss, then head over to Just Cats where the friendly Main Coons and Persian breeds will bowl you over.
Alternatively, be surrounded by excited dogs of various breeds in Just Dogs, and have a pawsome time pampering doggos with treats.
Just Pets Megastore provides visitors with a clean and air-conditioned environment shielded away from the scorching hot sun and unpredictable rain.
Accessibility
The MRT takes you right to the doorstep of Tropicana Gardens Mall in Kota Damansara. Hence getting to Just Pets Megastore via public transport is easy.
Should you wish to drive, there is ample parking space within the mall. Parking rates are decently priced at RM2 for the first 3 hours, and RM1 for the 4th hour onwards.
What to do at Just Pets Megastore
Wanting to expose children to farm animals in an indoor setting, we opted to enter Just Farm and gave Just Cats and Just Dogs a pass.
Here are some of the things we enjoyed at this petting zoo in Petaling Jaya.
1. Observe The Cheeky Meerkats & Racoons
Occasionally standing on their hind legs or comfortably nestled in the arms of their caretaker, the meerkats scurried from left to right and were active in the morning. Some were busy burying into the log while others were munching on their food.
The caretaker allowed us to stroke their velvety soft fur. Nevertheless, the meerkats were wary of strangers.
Watch the amusing antics of the two resident raccoons as they climb on the perches and search for food on the ground.
2. Mingle with Alpacas
While alpacas are known to spit at humans out of disgust, thankfully the alpaca trio at Just Pets Megastore scored A for good behavior.
Clad in off-white, cashmere, and beige fur, the alpacas gently ate from our hands as they heartily crunched the carrots we fed them.
Their enclosure, lined with soft mats was however quite barren. Their surroundings did not mimic a farm setup and could be improved to provide enrichment for the animals.
3. Feed The Farm Animals
Apart from feeding alpacas, we also fed the hamsters, sheep, chickens, and ducks .
As for the rabbits, visitors can feed them carrots (each feed is priced at RM5 per bucket). But, over feeding rabbits carrots that are high in sugar can cause gastrointestinal issues.
Hence, Just Pets should ration the amount of carrots to be fed and consider switching to quality hay, pandan leaves, or pellets as treats.
Nevertheless, kudos for positioning a caretaker at the rabbit enclosure. As rabbits are exotic animals and vulnerable to rough handling, the caretaker ensures that the animals are not trampled over or mishandled.
4. Get up close with the Capybaras
The 3 resident capybaras who originally occupied the alpacas’ space seem somewhat uneasy in their new enclosure. Throughout our time there, the capybaras were huddled at one corner of the pond.
Given some time, the capybaras should settle down and feel comfortable approaching visitors feeding treats.
5. Free Pop Corn and Ice Cream for Children
The free popcorn was well coated in a tasty concoction of butter and caramel – full marks for this crisp and fresh treat! The ice cream makes a nice dessert on a hot day too!
6. Pristine Cleanliness and Ample Wash Areas
Smashing the myth that petting zoos are filthy, the interiors of Just Pets Megastore do not smell and are odor-free. Animals that poop frequently (like ducks and alpacas) roamed on a cement floor that was washed frequently.
Wash sinks and soap are evenly distributed at the entrance, middle section, and towards the end so that visitors can wash their hands after each feed.
Things to Improve at Just Pets Megastore
Given the limited number of animals in Just Farm and the hefty entrance fee (refer to pricing below), you can easily cover the entire area in half an hour. Besides, the animal’s food is charged separately at RM5 per cup, and this increases the overall fee.
Too much space has been allocated for retail and merchandise. Perhaps that can be trimmed down so that the Just Farm petting zoo can be extended to feature more animals.
Each animal’s enclosure seemed small and inadequate. The raccoons can be improved by adding more poles and climbing stations for enrichment purposes. Pacing up and down, their restlessness is a sign of boredom.
While the intention to uphold good hygiene standards is noble, the barren space compromises the animal’s well-being.
For this price tag, you’ll get to see more animals in an outdoor setting that closely mimics nature at Zoo Negara. In fact, the capybaras and Oyen at Zoo Negara thrive in their landscaped environment, making it a strong testament to the animal's happiness.
Similarly, for RM20, visitors have more opportunities to interact with a variety of farm animals at LuckBros Kota Damansara. The guided tours at Luckbros Kota Damansara are informative, and the rangers explain about the animal’s origins, natural behaviors, and diet to their audience.
As for the cat room, while the cats are regal and well taken care of, the steep rice at RM48 is a deterrent.
Pricing
The current price of RM68 for adults and RM58 for children 3 to 12 years old is expensive considering the size of Just Pets Megastore.
The previous entrance fees of RM48 & RM38 for adults and children respectively erred towards the high side but may augur well for parents with young kids.
While the individual yearly pass priced at RM380 comes with unlimited entries and access to all petting zones, its confined space means you can complete your tour in a jiffy. And would not need to revisit the place.
Here is a table of comparison of entrance fees for petting zoos in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.
Verdict
Just Pets Megastore may need to impose a hefty entrance fee to cover the high rental cost due to its expansive space. But it should not be an expanse of visitor's experience
The entrance fee is expensive, the number of animals is limited and you’ll get more mileage on your Ringgit at other petting zoos in Seri Kembangan, Selangor, and Kuala Lumpur.
To have a sustainable business model, customer satisfaction has to be prioritized ahead of revenues. Only then will a business garner regular customers that would spread honest word of mouth.
Address: Lot 1F-01, First Floor, Tropicana Gardens Mall, 2A, Persiaran Surian, Tropicana Indah, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Operating Hours: 10 am – 10 pm daily
Contact: 012-202 3639
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