Facts You Didn’t Know About Malaysia’s Harimau Malaya
The (Malaysia’s Harimau Malaya) Harimau Malaya is known as the Peninsula, Sunda, and Eastern Tiger. It was once found throughout Southeast Asia, including Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Today, the largest population of the Malayan Tiger (Malaysia’s Harimau Malaya) is found in Malaysia. The remaining populations are scattered over other parts of the region. As the name implies, the Malayan Tiger is a symbol of courage and strength, depicted as the symbol of the Royal Malaysian Police, our National Football team, and, more importantly, the Malaysian Coat of Arms.
The Malayan Tiger (Malaysia’s Harimau Malaya) is the smallest of all tiger subspecies, weighing 105-141 kilograms for males and 65-79 kilograms for females. It is considered an endangered species, with fewer than 150 left in the wild. WWF Malaysia stated that the Malayan tigers are found in Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. Some studies from The Malaysian Nature Society stated that the Malayan Tiger is not a subspecies of its own but a hybrid of other subspecies, such as the Sumatran and Bengal tigers, which migrated to Malaysia thousands of years ago. This has caused some confusion among scientists who are unsure if this is possible. Although it is rare for other subspecies to mate and produce offspring, it turns out that these tigers are not as closely related as we thought. This means that interbreeding is a possibility.
Most tigers live in primary rainforests, but the Malayan Tigers (Malaysia’s Harimau Malaya) are adapted to growing in secondary forests. This means that they can survive in partially degraded forests. However, they are found in many different habitats across its range and preferably in lowland forests with dense underbrush surrounded by water sources like rivers and lakes.
The characteristics of The Malayan Tiger (Malaysia’s Harimau Malaya)
The Malayan Tiger (Malaysia’s Harimau Malaya) has smaller ears than other subspecies, which helps to reduce heat loss while hunting during the daytime when it is too hot to hunt at night. It has long whiskers on its face to help it find prey in thick foliage by picking up vibrations from potential prey moving around in their hiding places. The Malayan Tiger (Malaysia’s Harimau Malaya) is the smallest and most vulnerable tiger species. It is also one of the most elusive, reserved, and complex animals to study. Furthermore, the Malayan Tiger (Malaysia’s Harimau Malaya) is a solitary animal except when breeding or raising cubs. It can be seen together during mating season or when feeding on a large kill such as a water buffalo or wild boar. They have been known to hunt humans but are not aggressive towards people unless provoked.
These factors took researchers a long time to find out what they look like in their natural environment. It was in 2004 that scientists received hidden camera trap images showing these creatures roaming Malaysia’s Taman Negara National Park in search of food and other tigers to mate with. This video has helped researchers learn more about the behavioral patterns of this endangered species. Tigers are territorial animals and require large forests to move around. The range of travel is estimated to be 300km for male tigers and 100km for females.
Fortunately, there are still plenty of forested areas that the Malayan Tiger (Malaysia’s Harimau Malaya) can call home. This species is still wild, unfamiliar with human interactions, and roams freely. In fact, since 2007, the population has grown steadily. The Malayan Tigers (Malaysia’s Harimau Malaya) are found in Malaysia’s national parks and reserves, such as Taman Negara (the largest contiguous mass of rainforest in Southeast Asia) and Gunung Gading National Park, home to Malaysia’s oldest rainforest.
Pemangku Raja Pahang, Tengku Hassanal has made it a mission to save and protect this beautiful endangered species from going extinct by creating a Malaysian conservation campaign called Save the Malayan Tiger. Pemangku Raja Pahang has placed it a top priority on this matter by collaborating with other organizations and establishing effective enforcement to take down poaching syndicates, illegal logging, and disengaging traps. This effort shows a massive 98% decrease in snare levels compared to 2017.
The outcome of the Malayan Tigers (Malaysia’s Harimau Malaya) lies in the hands of the people. With the collaborative efforts of the government, there is a fighting chance at survival for the tigers. A symbol of collective perseverance in the fight to protect their home and strengthen their effort as rightful guardians of the forest, don’t let their story become history.
