Malaysia, a southeast Asian country is a megadiverse country. Mostly covered in tropical rainforests, swamp forests, and mangrove forests. With mega diverse ecology, tropical rainforests encompass around 50% of the total land area. Malaysia has the world’s fifth-largest mangrove area, at around half a million hectares. Due to its rich and unique biodiversity, it hosts wonderful wildlife of nearly 307 known mammal species of which 30 species are endemic, 785 bird species, 242 known species of amphibians, 567 species of reptiles, and around 2,068 species of freshwater and marine fishes. Malaysia is the only home of the Malayan Tiger. Malayan tiger (Panthera Tigris jacksoni) is a subspecies of tiger (Panthera Tigris Tigris) that is native to peninsular Malaysia, especially in the south and Centre of the Malay peninsula. They are terrestrial inhabiting tropical rainforests. Malayan tiger’s main diet includes muntjacs, sambar, wild boars, bearded pigs. They are usually smaller than the Bengal Tiger, average 2.4metre in length and 120kg weight.
Current status: In Wild- due to excessive anthropogenic activities and immense hunting, their population in the wild has continuously dropped as 3,000 tigers(the 1950s), 500 tigers(1990-2003), 250-340 tigers( 2014). Since 2015, the Malayan tiger is included in the group of endangered species, IUCN red list.
Recently, the department of wildlife and national parks, WWF Malaysia, and some NGOs conducted Malaysia’s first national tiger survey to know the accurate status of tigers which involved the setting of a camera trap in all of the tiger’s habitats.
A lot of these were surveyed for the very first time. The findings were shocking to know the population at less than 200 tigers.
Despite being totally protected under the wildlife conservation act of 2010 there is a drastic decrease in populations of tigers in Malaysia.
Cause of tiger population declination
Habitat loss: The Tiger is a territorial wide-ranging species that require relatively large areas. The tiger can survive only in areas where there is sufficient habitat, availability of prey, and water. Development projects and agriculture needs led to deforestation and hence habitat loss and habitat fragmentation. Every year on average almost 48,000 square kilometers of forest areas were lost in Malaysia from 2000-2012.
Agriculture – large areas of land are used as commercial palm oil plantations, rubber plantations, and paddy fields.
Malaysia is the largest exporter of oil palm in the world producing 15.8 million tones of palm oil.
Malaysia is one of the largest producers and exporters of rubber and rubber products.
It’s also one of the largest producers and exports of timber which is found in the vast jungle of Malaysia.
Mining Activities – after the endless loss from palm oil plantations, mining in forest areas also have started posing threats to the wildlife. The annual output of Bauxite ore from Malaysia’s forest is 200,000 tonnes every year. Malaysia has become the world’s top Bauxite producer.
Residential and commercial development.
Construction of linear infrastructure in and around tiger habitats.
So due to human intervention, agriculture, commercial logging, mining, forestry, and urbanization contribute to the destruction of forests and mangroves. Construction of roads and damming of rivers also led to habitat loss and fragmentation.
Human – Tiger conflicts
Due to habitat fragmentation and habitat loss for tigers, they are forced to go to the nearby plantations, livestock farming in search of food. That increases the chances of human-tiger conflicts. The tigers are then killed or injured in a clash with humans. This is also one reason for the loss of the tiger population. Sometimes the deceased tiger body parts are sold to illegal wildlife trading that leaves them killed without any records. The human-tiger conflict occurs when the tiger poses a threat to the local communities well being, livestock, and livelihoods, which always lead to the ill-treatment of the species.
Poaching for illegal wildlife trade
Tiger skins, bones, exotic dishes made from tiger meat, and tonics are in high demand in Asian countries. Despite a ban on the trading of tiger bone which is considered to have anti-inflammatory properties in many traditional Chinese medicine practices, illegal trade of tiger products has increased by leaps and bounds. Other than tiger bones, tiger skin and teeth are also used in these traditional Chinese medicines. It is believed that consuming the body parts of tigers cures myriad diseases and improves strength and virility. Due to high demand and less availability, illegal trading has become a profitable business. The illegal wildlife trade is estimated to of US$20 billion annually. Malaysian tigers are high in demand because of their high and profitable commercial value in the wildlife trade market. With few rangers on the ground, Malaysia has struggled to tackle wildlife criminals.
“Absolutely, without a doubt, poaching is a crisis “Elizabeth John, wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.
Data from the TRAFFIC and the seizures made by the department of wildlife and national parks Peninsular Malaysia (DWNP/PERHILITAN) shows the main threat to the conservation of Malayan Tigers – poaching and illegal trade of Tigers.
Past few years
According to TRAFFIC, more than 100 tigers’ body parts were seized from 2000- 2018 in Malaysia.
In 2008, 19 frozen tiger cubs were seized from the zoo.
In 2012, the skins and bones of 22 tigers were seized in the state of Kedah.
For illegal trading poachers and farmers use firearms and snares to hunt the tigers. The snare trap is one of the biggest obstacles in tiger conservation.
Snare crisis
Snares are lengths of steel line comprised of a noose and a free-running eye that entrap any animal’s leg, neck, or body by constricting. Snares are known to be the most inhuman killing devices because of their inherent design and cheap price as they can be made from bicycle cable wires. They are extremely effective and durable as they last forever hidden until something is caught in them. Inside protected areas, wherein the recent time snare trap has emerged as a plague of wildlife.
To fulfill the high demand for tiger skin and body parts are people mostly from China, poachers from Neighboring countries as Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia come inside the forest areas of Malaysia. Due to the availability of highways, it is easy for poachers to come inside the forest and set snare traps for tigers. These poachers are well trained and came to the forest areas to stay for months. They are grouped in no more than 10 people in a group and establish makeshift camps inside the forest areas to carry out their evil deeds.
These snares are so much dangerous that even if the tiger is rescued by the Forrest rangers, the wire has already wounded the tiger severely in such a way that part of its body needs to be amputated to save its life from further infections. As necrosis is very common in the body parts. The tiger becomes vulnerable to other predators and not able to hunt properly, in that situation the tiger has to be kept in captivity.
These snares are most lethal to the trapped tiger. As the tiger struggles to get out of the trap the noose tightens more around the neck and feet of the tiger which makes the tiger to Impossible to get out. The tiger stays in the same place without food and water for days.
The following data shows the severity of the snare crisis in forest areas of Malaysia
Throughout 2008, PERHILITAN’s Game Rangers carried out 174 operations and destroyed some 1000 tiger traps and snares.
In 2018, WWF-Malaysia launched an ambitious initiative called Project Stampede with the sole purpose of snare deactivation. The many patrol teams carried out patrols, removed snares, and collected data on poaching with the help of indigenous communities. Involving these local people has been fruitful as 227 snares deactivated over a total of 22,800 KM patrolled on foot over the past four years. This has resulted in a 99% reduction in snares encountered compared to the year before this project was started.
Challenges for tiger conservation initiatives despite many conservation initiatives have taken place, the complexes in maintaining the tiger conservation on the check is a huge task. To combat poaching which is a major cause of tiger population decline, the whole forest and tiger habitat area is needed to be regularly patrolled. To conserve tigers, we need to know the current status of tigers, knowledge about their prey, and their pattern to mitigate the rampant poaching of these precious tigers. Below are some ways we can make tiger conservation drive more successful.
More manpower Recently Malaysian government has appointed around 600 Forest rangers to protect Malayan forests and tiger habitats. In the Royal Belum state park area of 117,500 hectares, there are around 100 rangers which are still less for such a large forest. The local indigenous communities of Jahal and Temiar ethnic groups are helping to overcome this issue of low staff. They are helping the forest guards, WWF in carrying out operations in the deep forest areas. With the help of these people, WWF and government authorities can remove countless snares, data fetching, and others. More professionally and trained staff must be deployed in tiger conservation projects.
Conversion of tiger habitat into protected areas
Only 15% of the total tiger habitat is under protected areas. All tiger habitats must be included under Protected Areas. It will ensure the protection of tiger and prey species as well. To protect tiger prey species, the Malaysian government had issued hunting ban on two of the main tiger-prey species- the Sambar deer and the Barking deer.
Use of latest technology apart from setting camera trap to keep tracks of tiger movements in the tiger habitat by using effective technology tools such as radio sensor tagging, which helps track the movement and breeding of these animals. DNA analysis and other forensic studies would help in nailing poachers.
Awareness and social interaction of forest guards and locals to mitigate the tiger-human conflict.
Strict laws and regulations to tackle the poaching and illegal trading of tiger’s body parts into markets. More law enforcement is required in the tiger habitats to put a stop to these activities.
As the Malayan tiger is on the brink of extinction, a concerted effort is needed to protect the tiger habitats, end poaching, improve the number of tigers, and ensure the next generation’s survivability.
Thanks: WWF Malaysia & SANJITPAAL SINGH / JITSPICS.COM © (https://www.instagram.com/jitspics)
Scientific Name: Panthera Tigris Jacksoni
IUCN Status: Listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List
Protection: Protected in Wild Life Act in 1976 Protection Act, 1972
Author: Shailja Sharma ( Instagram: ShailjaSharma88)
Photo Credit: WWF Malaysia | Sanjitpaal Singh (@jitspics)
About Phyton
CSR Activity at Castle Rock (Kali Tiger Reserve) – 2017
