Endangered Malayan Tiger Facts – What is a Malayan Tiger?
The Malayan Tiger, known as Panthera Tigris Jacksoni, a subspecies of tigers in Peninsular Malaysia, is on the brink of extinction. One of the most worrying endangered Malayan Tiger facts is that the population has no more than 200 tigers left compared to the 1950s when more than 3,000 Malayan Tigers used to roam the forest. Now only 10% remain, which is at an alarming stage as they have now been classified as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (INCU) Red List.
Endangered Malayan Tiger Facts – Threats
The Malayan Tigers are known for their symbol of strength and courage—an icon of the country which used to roam freely throughout the densely forested interior of Southeast Asia. Having them at the pinnacle of the food chain, the Malayan Tigers maintain the balance in the ecosystem. For the entire biodiverse landscape to be preserved, the Malayan Tigers must be protected first.
They are faced with multiple threats from illegal wildlife trade, habitat loss, and forest logging. Poaching is one of the main reasons for the rapid decline in Malayan Tigers, pushing them quickly towards extinction. The numbers have plummeted with the widespread destruction of their forest habitat; this is caused by logging and expansion of palm oil and pulpwood plantations leading to lesser prey for sustenance. It does not help that they are in great demand in the illegal trade market due to poachers, their bodies are valued for trophy hunting, medicinal, and souvenir purposes. The Malayan Tiger is high in price ranging from RM700 – RM1000 per kilogram, which brings poachers into Malaysia’s forests in hopes of catching a tiger and smuggling it to Thailand and China. Poachers also use snares to catch our beloved Malayan Tigers. Snares are small traps used to capture or injure the tiger; hundreds of snares have been identified and thrown, but many more remain hidden as the rangers cannot patrol the entire forest. Plenty of snaring by Indochinese poachers has the potential to seriously threaten the existence of the Malayan Tiger.
Another endangered Malayan Tiger fact is how there are humongous conversion of tiger habitats to other land uses and the fragmentation of these habitats into smaller pocket forests. Tropical forest tigers in Malaysia have a wide home range and require vast forest lands to roam. Disconnected patches of forests that are smaller in size heavily contribute to the extinction of the Malayan Tiger, as a small habitat leads to tigers competing with each other for prey and territory in a way that is not sustainable.
Endangered Malayan Tiger Facts – How to save the tiger in the wild?
Several organizations are actively working towards the common goal of saving our Malayan Tigers in Pahang, one of which is the Pahang Wildlife Ranger Unit. The Pahang Wildlife Ranger Unit is a part of the National Save The Malayan Tiger Campaign that monitors and enforces the Wildlife Conservation Act. They will cover a large land area where they will survey certain activities, record their observations, and watch poachers.
In line with decisive actions to help save the Malayan Tiger, His Royal Highness Regent of Pahang has fully devoted himself to the cause by advising the Pahang Wildlife Committee. This committee is formed under the Pahang Biodiversity Council. The Council was established under the Pahang Biodiversity Enactment 2021.
There is also a National Conservation Centre for tigers in Lanchang, to protect and ensure that the Malayan Tigers and their habitats are protected from any activities that violate the law, especially hunting and illegal deforestation.
Endangered Malayan Tiger Facts – Creates a Domino Effect.
Malaysia’s ecosystem is a rich network that comprises of different animals, plants, and other organisms that form the natural ecosphere. It is an endangered Malayan Tiger fact that removing the apex predator from the forest entirely will have serious effects on the food chain and the entire structure of the ecosystem. Thus, the extinction of the Malayan Tiger will create a domino effect on the Malaysian biodiversity.
This shows how important it is for us to save the Malayan Tiger, and the Malayan Tiger rescue campaign initiative is imperative and crucial to the future existence of Malaysian tigers. Learn more about Malayan Tigers from our official website.
