KUALA LUMPUR – Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) has come down hard on the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) over their “shoot first, ask later” method of culling wildlife.
In light of the recent shooting of some 20 endangered dusky leaf monkeys (also known as langurs or lutungs) in Port Dickson, SAM urged the government to investigate the matter and end cruel methods of culling wildlife.
The Vibes reported that the Gibbon Conservation Society had called for a probe into the incident.
According to Perhilitan, they were acting on a public complaint of aggressive monkeys that were in the area.
But residents rubbished this, saying the lutung is a shy species that is afraid to approach humans.
SAM president Meenakshi Raman questioned the wildlife department for its fatal action.
She asked whether it was standard procedure to “shoot to kill” without proper investigation or thinking the process through.
“The witness mentioned another incident that took place a few months ago that could have been caused by a group of macaques, not the langurs.
If this incident of conflict took place a few months ago, shouldn’t they have had the time to launch an investigation and find a more humane solution to the conflict rather than mercilessly killing 20 of this endangered species?”
Further questions regarding Perhilitan’s actions have been brought up.
Perhilitan reportedly removed six gibbons that were under rehabilitation care from the Gibbons Rehabilitation Project in Pahang early this year, stating that the primates would be better off under the care of the wildlife department.
“And then they went ahead and mercilessly shot 20 lutungs without any thought of trauma that could be inflicted on both the wildlife and humans living in the surrounding area,” Meenakshi added, commenting on contradicting actions of the department.
“The rate of biodiversity loss in the country has SAM worried. If the neglect on wildlife and especially these endangered species continues, soon there might not be any left for the next generation.”
Consider other methods first
The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species classifies these dusky langurs as endangered, while Malaysia’s Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 categorises the primates as a protected species.
The act states that anyone who commits an offence of being wilfully cruel to any wildlife is liable to a fine, imprisonment, or both.
“On the face of it, this seems like a cruel act of killing by the wildlife department,” said Meenakshi.
She urged the government to investigate the matter and to put a stop to such cruel methods of culling wild animals.
“Instead of employing cruel methods to contain human-wildlife conflicts, the wildlife department should be looking at other ways of dealing with such incidents, including translocation of these wild animals in conflict away from human habitation, or rehabilitating them for later release into the wild.
“The fact that these langurs have been seen near human settlements could be due to the loss of their original habitat, a conflict first caused by humans in the name of development,” she said.
“The government should also ensure our forests are protected so that wildlife habitats are not destroyed. This is the most efficient way to protect both the diversity of wildlife in the country, as well as human lives.” – The Vibes, May 24, 2021
