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PUTRAJAYA – Representatives of the Gua Musang Orang Asli community in Kelantan have slammed rangers from the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) over their handling of a recent tiger sighting at Pos Bihai after a villager was mauled to death.
Pos Ber village chief, Nasir Dollah, 32, described the actions of these Perhilitan officers, who eventually shot the tiger to death in last Friday’s incident, as far from efficient, saying they should have consulted with the local community there on other solutions.
“They came and just hurled firecrackers towards the tigers and then set some traps, their modus operandi I would say was unsuccessful, they should have done more to find the best possible solution or at least discuss with the villagers there.
This is because we have to follow our own customs where we would have not thrown any firecrackers, because any sounds of explosions will cause the tiger to react even more aggressively,” he said.
Nasir said the community also rejected assertions from Galas assemblyman Mohd Syahbuddin Hashim that the tiger attacked the villager only because it was infected with rabies or other similar diseases.
“There are those who even said the tiger was infected, but we don’t believe it.
“The reason why the tiger is there around our villages is the lack of forest (space) and its natural habitat.
“That is what the Orang Asli believe is the actual reason, not because of rabies or such infections,” he added.
He said this in response to last week’s incident where an Orang Asli villager was mauled to death by a tiger near his home in Kg Sau, near Pos Bihai.
The victim’s daughter realised her father was missing in the 9.10am incident, only to discover his mauled remains near their home with injuries present all over his body and head.
Following the incident, Kelantan Perhilitan director Mohamad Hafid Rohani had said the male tiger, which weighed around 120kg, was later shot dead by rangers after it was said to have approached the rangers.
Nasir made these comments after handing over a memorandum to the prime minister’s special officer at the Perdana Putra building here, accompanied by several other Orang Asli representatives and their lawyer Siti Kasim.
The village chief said today that the community does not blame the animals for such attacks but rather the authorities, who he said are insensitive towards the consequences caused by overdevelopment.
We find ourselves threatened by the presence of these tigers, but these issues are caused by the logging, mining, and large-scale farms that are causing the natural forest to shrink.
“Such wild animals then cannot hunt in their natural habitats, and then find themselves around our villages. We are not blaming the animal; these incidents are caused by the mistakes of humans.
“Which humans? The authorities and ones in power, the federal and state governments. Agencies that are supposed to safeguard wild animals must also play their roles,” he added.
The memorandum from the Orang Asli community seeks for the government to be more proactive and sensitive towards the environmental factors brought on by deforestation and further encroachment into the natural habitats of these wild animals, given the recent fatal attack.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the government’s commitment towards saving the Malayan tiger, the country’s native animal species currently on the brink of extinction.
Ismail Sabri noted that the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 was amended in Parliament on December 21 last year to give authorities more bite in the conservation of wildlife.
This includes increasing the maximum fine to RM1 million and the prison sentence up to 15 years for wildlife criminals, while a new provision was also introduced to allow action against individuals who advertise the sale of these animals online. – The Vibes, January 11, 2022
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