By Dr Mark Rayan Darmaraj

This Malaysia Day, our national celebration has been marred by the shocking news of suspects caught with a tiger carcass hidden in the boot of a vehicle in Mersing, Johor.

The sight of our majestic national animal stuffed into a garbage bag, destined for transport and trade, is both sickening and heartbreaking. It is a dreadful reminder that poaching remains a grave threat to tigers and other wildlife in our country.

The Wildlife Conservation Society Malaysia (WCS Malaysia) commends the swift action of the Royal Malaysia Police Federal Reserve Unit Intelligence Team and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Johor in intercepting the suspects, who were found in possession of the tiger believed to have been snared and shot.

This interception was reportedly made possible by a public tip-off, a reminder of the critical role Malaysians can play in combating wildlife crime by reporting suspicious activities.

The dead tiger had previously been recorded in the Endau Rompin landscape alongside its mother and sibling, a rare and precious glimpse into the fragile family units that are vital for the species’ recovery.

Spanning Johor and southern Pahang, Endau Rompin is one of the most important landscapes for tiger conservation in Malaysia.

Population dynamics

The loss of even a single individual disrupts the population dynamics in this southern stronghold. Added to this are other threats – prey depletion from poaching and disease, forest fragmentation, and habitat loss due to land-use change – creating the ultimate recipe for the extinction of a top predator, not just from Endau Rompin but across its entire range in Peninsular Malaysia.

There is no doubt that efforts to save the Malayan tiger have intensified in recent years. Yet with fewer than 150 tigers remaining nationwide and with poaching cases still surfacing, we must acknowledge that such incidents may only represent the tip of the iceberg.

In many past cases, Indochinese poachers have been implicated in snaring and the illegal wildlife trade. But lest we forget, locals have also been caught, though their cases may attract less public attention.

Whilst it is critical to dismantle foreign poaching syndicates, it is equally important to understand the motivations behind local poaching, how it connects to middlemen and syndicates, and whether it forms part of an intertwined web of criminal networks.

The suspects in this case must be thoroughly investigated to uncover the depth of these criminal pathways.

We hope the authorities will prosecute them and mete out the harshest penalties as a firm stance against wildlife crime.

A sense of grief shadows my heart, as I am sure it does for many Malaysians on this Malaysia Day.

Saving wildlife

WCS Malaysia calls upon all Malaysians to be a voice for our tigers and other wildlife.

Our mission is to save wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. We envision a world where wildlife thrives in healthy lands and seas, valued by societies that embrace and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on earth.

WCS Malaysia operates primarily in three locations: southern Peninsular Malaysia (Johor and Pahang), as well as the states of Sabah and Sarawak. Currently, we focus on conserving several priority species, namely tigers, elephants, orangutans, sharks, and rays.

Elected representatives have a crucial role in shaping policies to protect wildlife, but the responsibility cannot rest with them alone.

Safeguarding our natural heritage requires the active involvement of all parties – by raising our voices, supporting conservation efforts, and remaining vigilant, just as a recent public tip-off led to the apprehension of these suspects.

Finally, perhaps it is time to systematically evaluate all conservation efforts carried out thus far, to ask ourselves hard-hitting questions about the interventions we have applied or failed to apply and to measure their impact on the status of the Malayan tiger.

If we cannot stand united as a nation to fight for our own, including our tigers, then what meaning does Malaysia Day truly hold for us?

-- BERNAMA

Dr Mark Rayan Darmaraj is Country Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Malaysia (website: https://malaysia.wcs.org).