PETALING JAYA: Former Zoo Negara chief veterinarian Assoc Professor Datuk Dr Vellayan Subramaniam passed away on Saturday (June 21) due to a massive heart attack at the age of 72.
Dr Vellayan – who is also a former Zoo Negara assistant director – is known for his vast contributions towards wildlife as well as veterinary medicine as a whole.
He received his degree in veterinary medicine from the Madras Veterinary College at the Tamilnadu Agriculture University in 1978.
Dr Vellayan then pursued a postgraduate degree at the then Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (UPM) and now Universiti Putra Malaysia where he embarked on a UPM and Cambridge University joint research study of the Lar gibbons.
Upon completing his post-graduate studies, Dr Vellayan joined Zoo Negara where he served until his retirement.
Dr Vellayan then took up a teaching position at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia until his second retirement at the end of last year.
Dr Vellayan treating a tiger when he was chief veterinarian at Zoo Negara
He received the Fulbright Professional Scholarship twice as well as many other awards for his contribution towards veterinary medicine, wildlife as well as parasitology.
It was under Dr Vellayan’s leadership and guidance that a fully equipped state-of-the art veterinary hospital was built at Zoo Negara.
He also won the Sandosham Gold Medal in 2021.
Dr Vellayan, who ran a small-scale exotic animal veterinary clinic after his retirement from Zoo Negara, was also a known figure amongst those who rescued street animals.
Although his practice covered exotic animals, he would never turn away street cats and dogs in need of emergency care brought in by rescuers.
Dr Vellayan with an Orang Utan infant during his time at Zoo Negara
He declined payment from rescuers and if they insisted on paying, they would be told to drop the money into a donation box that he had in his clinic.
He would then donate the received funds to the various animal rescue groups that he supported.
Dr Vellayan leaves behind his wife, retired teacher Poornam Sagathevan, daughter Hema, son Dr Shanker, grandsons Sushaenth and Harin as well as son-in-law Vinnaeishwaran Parameswaran.
His funeral rites will be carried out at his residence at Taman Melawati from 11.00am to 1.00pm on Sunday after which Dr Vellayan’s remains will be cremated at the DBKL Crematorium at Jalan Kuari at 2.00pm.
