EX-RELIGIOUS TEACHER GOES INTO DHAB FARMING IN ORDER TO SHARE REPTILE'S NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS

By Rozainah Abdul Rahim

TAIPING, May 8 (Bernama) – Wanting to share the high nutritional value of dhabs (Uromastyx aegyptia) or the desert lizard, a former religious teacher opened the first dhab farm in the country.

Azhar Mohamad Shafawi, 52, said his almost one-hectare farm, located in Kamunting here, houses 180 dhabs including those bred from the oldest parent who is 21 years old.

bootstrap slideshow

He said he decided to open the dhab farm when the population of these reptiles at his residence in Kampung Expo, Kamunting began to increase and many interested individuals would call by to see the animals up close.

The father of three said he began his interest in the dhab business while pursuing his degree in Islamic and Arabic Studies at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt during the 1990s, He then brought two dhabs back to Malaysia in 1994 to finance the cost of his studies.

He said that at that time there was no law that forbade bringing species that were halal for Muslims to eat from foreign countries into Malaysia.

bootstrap slideshow

"I became interested in the dhab business as the animal is rare and exotic. At that time, I learnt how to care for the animal from the people there and only did a small business, selling dhab essence in the public market,” he said when met by Bernama at his dhab farm here.

“It has now been 30 years since I have been farming this livestock, with the permission of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan), and I even produce various products that have the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and halal certification.

Elaborating further, Azhar decided to stop teaching Arabic in 2001 to focus on dhab farming as the lizards, which are herbivorous animals that eat vegetables and legumes, need careful care including during the egg hatching process. In addition, dhab farming provides a lucrative income.

Although dhab is halal and can be consumed, Azhar does not sell dhab meat for consumption because the animal is slow to grow in the Malaysian climate, therefore he only produces medicine and products of the dhab in the form of coffee, capsules, massage oil and so on from dhab essence which has various health properties.

"When dhabs reach two years old, they can be slaughtered and the meat cooked in oil to produce products such as massage oil while dry products such as capsules and mixed coffee powder are dried in the oven," he also said.

He added that feeding dhabs, which are believed to be able to live up to 150 years, requires relatively high costs as their food includes vegetables, hibiscus, mulberry, squid bones and red dhall. The public can visit as many as 44 enclosures here, free of charge, from 9 am to 4 pm daily.

For more information visit the website www.dhabsina.com.my.

-- BERNAMA