Malaysian soldiers protect wildlife, too

Sean Augustin, New Straits Times 13 Apr 09

KUALA TERENGGANU: They protect Malaysia and her citizens from foreign threats, but soon the armed forces will also be protecting the nation's wildlife.
Soldiers based at the Royal Belum State Park and Ulu Muda Forest will help to curb poaching under the second Defenders of Nature (Don 2) programme.

The programme, introduced by the Wildlife and National Parks Department in 2006, aimed to increase awareness in the armed services of the need to prevent poaching and encroachment.

The second Don programme is specifically targeted at the army's Second Division, whose men have patrolled the northern region forests for many years.

World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia Rhino Rescue project senior officer Ahmad Zafir Abdul Wahab said Don 2 involved 50 high-level officers.

A seminar conducted by WWF Malaysia in Sungai Petani recently introduced theories and concepts of environmental conservation.

The officers were taught about endangered and protected Malaysian wild-life,wildlife legislation, and the forest areas in need of more enforcement and patrolling.

"They agreed that they had a role to play to prevent poaching and were very enthusiastic," Zafir told the New Straits Times.

The Royal Belum State Park and Ulu Muda Forest, which borders Thailand, are home to some of Malaysia's most endangered and threatened wildlife.

They include the Sumatran rhinos (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris), Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), seladang (Bos frontalis) and sun bears (Helarctos malayanus).

The world's largest flower, the rafflesia, is also found there.