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.
Malaysia's Bukit Kayu Hitam anti-smuggling unit personnel with five tiger skins seized at the border crossing last year.
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, Malaysia:
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
