Save the tiger: WWF Malaysia campaign

Tan Cheng Li, The Star 16 Feb 10;

The tiger may become the stuff of myths if we don’t act now to preserve the species.

DON’T just celebrate the Year of the Tiger. Act to save this iconic species, whose numbers have plunged in the wild. Tiger experts have warned that the big cat will be extinct across 13 range countries if nothing is done to stop its hunting, loss of habitat and deprivation of prey.

In Malaysia, only some 500 Malayan tigers are believed to roam our forests – down from 3,000 some 50 years ago. For the species to rebound to a sustainable level, tiger conservationists calculated that we have to double the existing tiger population in 10 years.

As part of efforts to boost tiger numbers, World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia (WWF) is kicking off the Tx2 Campaign: Double or Nothing. This is a call to governments to put measures in place as part of a global effort to double the number of wild tigers in 13 range countries. There is an urgency as the global popu­lation of wild tigers is at an all-time low, but given the chance, support and opportunities, tiger numbers can recover.

The Tx2 campaign aims to initiate actions towards having 1,000 wild tigers in penin­sular Malaysia by 2020 through a two-pronged approach: raising public awareness on the tiger’s plight to garner more support for their conservation, and raising funds to increase tiger monitoring and protection efforts in and around the Belum-Temengor forest in Perak.

The WWF Wildlife Monitoring Unit con­­ducts field surveys to determine the conservation status and population trends of tigers and tiger prey in the forest. Ultimately, the group hopes to formulate tiger-friendly manage­­­­ment recommendations for incorporation into relevant forestry policies and management plans.

The WWF Wildlife Protection Unit (WPU) conducts patrols in the Royal Belum State Park and along the East-West Highway (also known as the Gerik-Jeli Highway) to keep poaching and other wildlife crimes at bay. Since the WPU’s establishment in December 2008, the unit has provided intelligence to the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, the police and the army. It has also helped remove 102 snares set by illegal hunters and aided the authorities in arresting 10 illegal hunters and traders.

Tigers are emblematic of environmental health. When wild tigers have the food and shelter they need to survive and thrive, the ecosystems they inhabit remain healthy, and provide numerous benefits to humans and other animals.

To launch the Tx2 campaign, various activities pertaining to tigers are now taking place at the Fo Guang Shan Dong Zen temple in Jenjarom, Selangor:

Exhibition and merchandise booths (Feb 14 to 21) – Visitors can learn more about tiger conservation efforts by WWF and partner orga­­ni­­­­­­­sations the Malaysian Conservation Allian­­­­ce for Tigers (MYCAT) and TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade and monitoring network. They can sym­­bolically adopt tigers to help protect them.

Making The Tiger Mark (Feb 16) – Make a tiger print plaster cast, a method used by wildlife biologists in the earlier days to count tigers in the forest, and bring it home with you.

Tx2 launch (Feb 20) – See 1,000 faces being painted with tiger stripes and colours, to symbolise the goal of achieving 1,000 tigers by the next Year of the Tiger in 2022.

Tiger Trail (Feb 21) – Just like in the Amazing Race, participants will race from one station to another to complete various tasks and get their “tiger report card” stamped. A souvenir awaits those who complete the race.

In April, WWF will start a search for a Tx2 Campaign ambassador, in which the public can vote for their favourite personalities to champion the cause.

For more information, go to wwf.org.my or e-mail tx2campaign@gmail.com

Major threat to big cats
The Star 16 Feb 10;

POACHING and illegal trade are the most urgent threats to tigers, having the greatest potential to cause colossal damage in a short time. With improved surveillance, detection of wildlife crimes has grown in recent years.

Tiger seizures in Malaysia

2008

* Nineteen dead tiger cubs and on another occasion, three dead tiger cubs from Saleng Zoo in Johor.

* Two live tigers in the home of a wanted robber in Sungai Petani, Kedah.

2009

* A snared tiger was rescued in Belum forest in Perak but it did not survive.

* A tiger skin from a man in Pahang.

* Five tiger skins from two Thais at the Bukit Kayu Hitam border crossing in Kedah.

* Three kgs of tiger bones along the East-West Highway.

Tiger seizures in Thailand

2008

* The Navy seized six tigers and five leopards being smuggled across the Thai-Lao border.

* Carcasses of two tigers and a leopard in a truck coming from Sungai Golok on the Malaysia-Thailand border.

2009

* Four tiger carcasses in the central Thai province of Prachuap Kiri Khan.

* Two tiger carcasses in the north-eastern Thai province of Nongkai.

* Of 12 meat samples tested from the seizures in Thailand, five were confirmed to be Malayan tigers.

Source: Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers and Department of Wildlife and National Parks

Do your part
The Star 16 Feb 10;

YOU can ensure that there will still be tigers roaming our forests, and not just in tiny cages in zoos and theme parks, in the next Year of the Tiger in 2022, by:

* Reporting suspected crimes involving tigers and tiger prey to the Wildlife Crime Hotline at 019-356 4194.

* Learning about tigers and tiger prey and sharing this with friends and family.

* Not consuming traditional medicines containing parts of tigers and other endangered species.

* Not eating the meat of tigers, other endangered species and tiger prey (wild deer and wild boar).

* Boycotting wild meat restaurants.

* Supporti ng the protection of forests which are tiger habitats.

* Voicing your opinion on issues like indiscriminate development, illegal logging and poaching.

* Not supporting zoos or theme parks which display illegally acquired or endangered wildlife or which ill-treat wildlife.

* Paying more for wildlife-friendly products.

* Supporting conservation organisations.