Fighting tiger poaching in Malaysia

Tigers are facing a myriad of threats in their habitats, and tiger conservation is a complex issue that involves everyone from local communities to the public, scientific researchers to organizations like WWF, government ministers to international policy makers.  Those on the ground, however, on the frontlines of tiger conservation, often have to negotiate this diverse array of interests on a daily basis.  They are the eyes, ears and heart of the battle to save the tiger, and their tireless work informs our response to the tiger’s plight at every level.

Following is the first of a regular blog series looking at the issues the tiger faces in its fight for survival as a species.  In the interview below we look at the issue of poaching in one of the tiger’s home range countries, Malaysia.   We talk briefly with WWF-Malaysia field expert Mark Rayan Damaraj, with assistance by Ahmad Zafir Abdul Wahab.  Mark is Senior Biologist for WWF-Malaysia’s Tiger Conservation Programme, and Ahmad is Senior Programme Officer for WWF-Malaysia’s Rhino Conservation Programme.  Thanks Mark and Ahmad!

1) Tigers are threatened today by a variety of problems. However, many experts and tiger conservationists think that poaching is the greatest threat of all to the survival of wild tigers today. Would you agree?

I would agree that direct poaching of the species is one of the most serious threats. However, threats (direct poaching of the species, poaching of its prey, habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and human tiger conflict retaliation) may vary according to areas or locations at different levels.

A female tiger with her cub photographed in Temengor Forest Reserve, Malaysia, using a camera trap (WWF-Malaysia/Christopher Wong)

2) Why do you think this is such a big problem and how do you think it can be resolved?

The rising numbers of poached tigers throughout tiger range countries is alarming and if measures are not taken to curb this short term threat now, it could very well escalate to cause local extinctions of populations in core tiger areas and thereby drive the species to extinction.

There is usually no one simple solution to reduce or eradicate a threat. First on the ground assessments in core tiger areas and its surrounding habitats need to be conducted to gauge the level of poaching, for example by assessing poaching signs. Next we should use this information to improve and step up enforcement in the affected areas based on the available resources accordingly. Subsequently, we should monitor the efficiency of the enforcement measures in reducing the poaching activity within the area. Finally, if the goal of reducing poaching threats has not been achieved, then we would need to re-evaluate the strategies taken and improve the measures that need to be subsequently taken.

All of this needs to be done in a systematic manner and within the shortest time possible so that we don’t end up with empty forest pockets. It is a race against time to save tigers in areas where poaching levels are high, especially in heavily fragmented areas where the probability of local population extinction could be high. Very often, it is strong political will that is needed to push authorities to step up enforcement in terms of providing the resources and ensuring that such work is taken seriously. Joint collaboration and efforts on the ground between NGO’s and government authorities are equally important to curb poaching within an area. Finally, the public can play an important role by being the ‘ears’ and ‘eyes’ to provide information on poaching activities to the relevant authorities. Collectively, I believe all these measures can reduce or even eradicate poaching.

3) Late last year, WWF-Malaysia helped the Department of Wildlife and National Parks to rescue a tiger caught in a poacher’s snare. Footage of the rescue and the pain that the tiger went through shocked many people. Can you tell us more about how the problem is being addressed in the Peninsular Malaysia landscape?

The problem of poaching in the Peninsular Malaysia landscape is not so much about the existence of poaching incidents such as the one highlighted by the rescue of a tiger but relates more to where such poaching takes place and the intensity of these activities. It boils down to the fact that there are not enough people on the ground to monitor wildlife or human caused factors that affect them. That particular tiger that was rescued was an incidental finding made by WWF-Malaysia’s team on the ground via patrols along the highway. It’s disheartening to think of how many more areas within the landscape that may face similar threats, but there are no or very few people monitoring these areas.

On the bright side, within the district of where the tiger had been rescued, a joint enforcement taskforce has been set up by the government authorities to tackle the issue of encroachment and poaching within the Belum-Temengor forest complex by both locals and foreigners. WWF-Malaysia played a big role in the establishment of the taskforce. Together with TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, we provided input and recommendations to the joint taskforce committee, along with suggested patrolling protocols and other urgent activities that are needed to mitigate poaching and encroachment in the complex. Currently the joint enforcement taskforce, the first district level joint enforcement in Malaysia, includes the Royal Police, Gerik District’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Perak State Parks Corporation, Anti-Smuggling Unit, Perak Forestry Department and the Fisheries Department.

WWF-Malaysia has also been trying to lobby, at the State Government  and Federal level, to ensure that more resources are being channelled into wildlife enforcement work.

The newly approved Wildlife Conservation Act also provides stiffer fines and penalties for wildlife offenders. While the old Protection of Wild Life Act of 1972 only provided a maximum fine of RM15,000 (about 4,700 US dollars) for crimes relating to totally protected species such as the tiger, the maximum fine contained in this new Act is RM500,000(about 157,730 US dollars)!

A Malayan tiger caught in a poacher's snare near the Royal Belum and Temengor Forest Reserves (WWF-Malaysia/Lau Ching Fong)

4) Malaysia is one of the 13 countries in the world that still have tigers, and the public have been vocal about saving the Malayan tiger.  How do you think such publicity can be useful to stop poaching?

Publicity on poaching issues within the country will definitely increase the level of awareness amongst the public in Malaysia. I think as the level of public awareness increases there will be more room to lobby for improvement on wildlife conservation issues in Malaysia. However, this is not an overnight transformation. Even if a person does not understand the value of conserving tigers, I’d like to think that every Malaysian would not want to be burdened by the guilt of being part of a generation that was responsible to not being able to save wild tigers in this country, and for this reason I believe there is hope for tigers in Malaysia.