Virtual Booth

Zoo Kemaman is recognised as one of the key tourism attractions on the East Coast of Malaysia, serving as a hub for recreation, education, and wildlife conservation. Despite its strategic potential, visitor attendance remains comparatively low when benchmarked against other zoological parks in Malaysia. This challenge is primarily attributed to the limited implementation of interactive innovations and the continued reliance on non-eco-friendly materials, which collectively diminish visitor engagement and overall satisfaction (M. Zaki, 2024).

In response to these challenges, the IntelliDeer Box was developed as an eco-friendly animal feeding container integrated with Quick Response (QR) codes, Near Field Communication (NFC), and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies. A key issue identified at Zoo Kemaman is the persistent use of single-use plastic feeding containers, which not only contribute to environmental pollution but also provide minimal educational and interactive value to visitors (Rahman, 2023). The IntelliDeer Box aims to address this gap by offering a sustainable, informative, and engaging feeding experience that aligns with contemporary trends in interactive tourism.

This study was guided by two primary objectives. The first objective was to evaluate visitors’ perceptions of the existing animal feeding containers at Zoo Kemaman. The second objective was to design and develop an innovative feeding container enhanced with interactive digital technologies. The research adopted the ADDIE instructional design model (Dr. Ratih Pratiwi et al., 2024), encompassing five phases: analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. Data were collected from 35 respondents, comprising zoo visitors and Zoo Kemaman staff, using a structured questionnaire. The reliability analysis yielded a Cronbach’s Alpha value of 0.8, indicating a high level of internal consistency and instrument reliability (Asbullah et al., 2018).

The findings revealed that the highest mean score for the first objective was 3.93, indicating a strong perceived need for innovative and biodegradable feeding container designs to support environmental sustainability. For the second objective, the highest mean score recorded was 4.19, demonstrating substantial support for the use of eco-friendly materials in the development of the IntelliDeer Box. Overall, the findings suggest that the IntelliDeer Box has significant potential to enhance interactive tourism experiences, foster environmental awareness, and offer commercial viability as an educational product and souvenir for zoological institutions across Malaysia (Ballantyne et al., 2023).

Keywords: Innovation, Eco-Friendly Animal Feeding Container, Interactive Education, Technology, Tourism