Malaysia: Three held for poaching, tiger carcass found

The Star 22 Jan 16;

KUALA TERENGGANU: Three people were detained for illegal poaching after authorities found a carcass of a tiger (Panthera Tigris) at their home in Pasir Semut, Kemaman.

Terengganu’s Department of Wildlife and National Park director Mohd Hasdi Husin said the three were detained on Wednesday at about 6.30pm.

The three – from Terengganu, Pahang and Sarawak – are in their 50s.

Mohd Hasdi said the three were handed to the police for allegedly killing the tiger and trying to sell its body parts for medicinal purposes.

The Panthera Tigris is a critically endangered animal.

“Acting on a tip-off, three of our officers posed as buyers and made a deal where a deposit of RM10,000 was to be paid to the men on Wednesday evening.

“We raided the house in the evening where we introduced ourselves and the raiding team found the carcass in the bathroom, chopped into four, as they allegedly attempted to sell the tiger’s skin, bones and teeth.

“Apart from that, the meat was intended to be sold to restaurants selling exotic meat,” he said.

He said poachers frequently hunt tigers as their body parts are used in traditional Chinese medicine and fetch high prices.

He said there were fewer than 400 tigers left in the Malaysian jungles.


Three men arrested after discovery of tiger carcass in toilet
ZARINA ABDULLAH New Straits Times 21 Jan 16;

KUALA TERENGGANU: Three men face the prospects of spending five years in jail and a fine of RM500,000 for possessing a tiger carcass at their house in Kemaman on Wednesday.

They are being investigated under Section 68(2)(c) of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010, after being detained by State Wildlife and National Parks Department rangers.

The rangers from the department's headquarters here mounted an ambush following a tip-off from the public and waited for three days before making their move.

"The rangers targetted a house in Pasir Semut in Kemaman.

When the house was raided at 6.30pm, they found a tiger carcass hidden in the toilet and three men in the house," said State Wildlife and National Parks director Mohd Hasdi Hussin.

Hasdi said the tiger, weighing about 150 kilogram, was trapped before it was shot in the head and had its organs removed and separated into four parts.

"We believe the age of the tiger is about 20 years.

We suspect a syndicate is involved and the carcass is waiting for buyers from a neighbouring country," he added.

Tiger or Panthera tigris is an endangered and a protected species.

Hasdi said the three men aged between 50 and 60 years were detained at the Kemaman police station.