The Malaysian Insight

POACHING and illegal trade are the biggest threats to the Malayan tiger, which is on the “critically endangered” list, said activists.

World Wide Fund for Nature-Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia) told The Malaysian Insight it is estimated that fewer than 200 Malayan tigers are left in the peninsula.

Back in the 1950s, the figure was about 3,000, plummeting to between 250 and 340 in 2015.

“We need to have more people patrolling the forests,” said WWF-Malaysia’s Dr Mark Rayan.

Although the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) has 200 officers patrolling key areas, he said, the number is well short of the 2,000 personnel needed.

The tiger expert said over the past year, there have been signs of an increase in poaching in Malaysia.

“WWF looked at the Belum-Temengor areas in Perak, and found an increasing number of snares.”

He said the snares were likely placed by poachers from Indochina countries.

“According to our records, there are almost no tigers left (in those countries), hence, they have begun poaching in Malaysia.”

Perhilitan, WWF-Malaysia and civil society groups are undertaking a tiger survey, with the results expected to be ready next year.

The Malayan tiger is usually found in the forests of Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Johor.

According to wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic, the species has been placed on the “critically endangered” list.

Its last analysis on global tiger seizures showed that at least 40 raids were carried out by the authorities between 2000 and 2015, with a minimum of 103 animals seized.

Two Vietnamese nationals were fined RM1.56 million and jailed for two years by the Kuala Terengganu Sessions Court in May for having in their possession 141 individual parts of serow, tapir, leopard, sun bear, golden cat and wild boar, and 22 snares.

The Malayan tiger is also finding it harder to hunt for food as the sambar deer, one of its staple prey, is depleting in number due to hunting, said Sahabat Alam Malaysia president Meenakshi Raman.

“Other threats include forest clearance and fragmentation leading to habitat loss,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

She said a moratorium on deer hunting introduced in November 2016 would be enforced until November 30, 2021.

Mark said there has not been any tiger bred in captivity and released into the wild in Malaysia.

“Tigers are different from other animals. We can’t just breed them and set them free in the jungles later.

“Tiger cubs need to learn how to hunt from their mothers, and this takes up to 2½ years.

“It is difficult to teach a tiger to hunt in a captive-breeding environment, and it is a costly endeavour. There are several efforts around the world… but it is expensive, and the results have not been very successful.” – July 25, 2019.