The Dead Cockroach: Animal Corner At Farmart Centre

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Farmart Centre is a farmers' market of sorts where one can buy fresh produces such as eggs, live seafood and vegetables. During my schooling days, I go there quite often and I even brought my classmates there a couple of times during the school holidays.

Although the farm is near to where I stay, its location at Sungei Tengah is rather inaccessible if you do not drive.

Thankfully, Farmart Centre provides daily shuttle bus service and I remember the fare used to cost 50 cents. When we alight from the shuttle bus, the driver would hand everyone some discount coupons which we could utilize at the shops.

Those were the days and in the twinkling of an eye, 19 years has passed since my last visit. As the second day of 2017 is a public holiday, I decided to make a trip there for old times sake.

From their Facebook page, I learned that from 2017 onward, the shuttle bus service will only be available during the weekends but the ride will be complimentary.

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The pick-up point is at the bus stop (bus stop 44531) opposite Lot ONE Shoppers' Mall where I board the 11am shuttle bus.

I was all excited when the shuttle bus pulled up at the drop-off point. I took a quick refresher tour round the farm but was dismayed to find that non of the shops were opened. Well, all except for Uncle William's shop which specialize in first-born eggs and game meat like crocodile and rabbit.

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I realized that there are quite a number of pet shops and there is even a debt recovery company at the farm now. What are these doing at a Farmers' Market?

The place is practically a dead town. I understand that it is a public holiday but that's when the crowd will come right? For businesses that thrive on the weekend and holiday crowd, I wonder why they were not opened for business and especially so when the weekday shuttle bus service is no longer made available?

Since the shops were closed, I decided to head for the Animal Corner instead which is hidden out of sight behind the prawning pond (prawn fishing). To get there, simply walk past the food establishments from the drop-off point and continue walking till you see this red wall.

Notice the green canopy? That is the prawning pond. Go down the flight of stairs and walk to the end of it. I am finally relieved to see people here.

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Prawning Pond

This grass patch next to the prawning area used to be a large unused pond. I guess they fill it up for good because I remember reading from the newspapers years ago that a three-year old drowned here while his parents were having dinner at the seafood restaurant. As much as I tried to sympathize with their lost, I wonder how did they not notice their child is missing from the table?

Anyway, I digress.

The entrance of the Animal Corner awaits at the end of the prawning pond. I am happy to see even more people inside.

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Animal Corner entrance

Here, you can find goats, bunnies, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, bull frogs, terrapins, giant catfishes and various parrots as well. For a small fee, you can purchase a small basket of vegetables and pellets to feed the animals. Kids will definitely love this.