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Why Are The Malayan Tigers Endangered?

One of the tiger’s most severely endangered subspecies, the Malayan tiger (Harimau Malaya), is found exclusively in Malaysia’s tropical jungles. Panthera Tigris subspecies Jacksoni is the scientific name for this particular species.

A study of tigers by National Geographic in 2004 discovered that tigers found in Malaysia were genetically varied enough to be declared a distinct species. According to the paper, it was formerly known as the Indochinese Tiger until it was classified as a distinct subspecies. Now, most studies have stated that the Malayan Tigers are endangered.According to a Malaysian wildlife biologist, several areas which were strictly monitored in the past decade have begun to see stabilizations in tiger populations. If the forests are protected and deforestation is halted as in other countries, the Malayan Tiger population may recover. A wildlife conservation organisation emphasised the significance of state governments supporting the Malayan Tiger campaign.

There had been talks of the government’s initiative to conserve the species (Endangered Malayan Tigers) in which they will allocate funds from other state governments to help conserve the ecosystem. However, the lack of transparency has been a problem, and no results have materialized so far. Therefore, we must keep making high-impact efforts to protect our Malayan Tigers and, more importantly, ensure the whole ecosystem is not in danger. If we all work together, there is hope they will not continue being endangered.

A Malayan Tiger Resting on The Grass

Why Are Malayan Tigers Endangered?

As exhibited through its dwindling population, the Malayan Tiger faces extinction. This is due to habitat degradation and fragmentation, poaching, and traditional medicine.

In the last several years, there has been a rise in tiger poaching (Endangered Malayan Tigers) for their skin and other body parts. For this reason, protecting this species and their habitats is more critical than ever. Snares (steel cable nooses) laid by illegal poachers to capture the Malayan Tigers are becoming a more severe problem by the day in Malaysia’s woods. There are no conservation efforts (Endangered Malayan Tigers) on their mind, even though the stakeholders are well aware of the tigers’ diminishing numbers.

The military, police, forestry department, and non-governmental groups are all involved in cooperative operations in Malaysia. The Malaysian government has also set up a National Tiger Conservation Task Force (MyTFF) and outlined several initiatives to preserve the Malayan Tiger population in the country. In 2021, the Malayan Tiger Conservation Centre (MTCC) was built in Lanchang, Pahang to support the breeding, rewilding and release of Malayan Tigers. The project is part of the government’s efforts to increase and stabilize Peninsular Malaysia’s critically endangered Malayan Tiger population.

An ever-growing human population and excessive logging have decimated most of the rainforest, which is now being exploited for agricultural purposes. Habitat fragmentation, commercial exploitation, and loss of food supplies have also contributed to a dramatic decrease in the species’ population ( Endangered Malayan Tigers) since the turn of the century.

The death rate of juvenile tigers is significant due to food scarcity and rivalry with other tigers in the area. Not only that, but sometimes, tigers will attack domestic livestock when they lack the opportunity to chase wild prey. Because of the lack of genetic variation and breeding challenges caused by habitat fragmentation, tigers’ populations are declining (Malayan Tiger Population 2022).

A Malayan Tiger Lying on Green Grass

Poachers continue to target these tigers for their pelts and other body parts even as the physical habitat degrades. Poaching of tigers for traditional medicine has been linked to organized crime in recent years, making it even more challenging to eradicate the problem.

The conservation of the Malayan Tiger must be elevated to the level of a national emergency. Donations, volunteering, or simply spreading the word about the importance of tigers to our world are all ways in which you can help preserve the Malayan tiger from extinction.

As part of the government’s ongoing conservation efforts (Endangered Malayan Tigers), numerous zoos both locally and globally are working together to better revive the numbers of this endangered species through natural or artificial reproduction.

Malayan tigers are Malaysia’s national animal and are portrayed in the coat of arms. It is crucial that our country makes the survival of these tigers a priority by showing zero tolerance for wildlife crimes. If we act now, we can help revive the numbers of this endangered species.

Save The Malayan Tiger
Save The Malayan Tiger is a Malaysian conservation campaign led by Pemangku Raja Pahang, HRH Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah, who works with local citizens and organizations to protect the tigers and their ecosystems.
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