KUALA LUMPUR – The Kelantan authorities denied that timber logging was why tigers were forced out of their habitat and are now roaming around Pos Bihai in Gua Musang, Kelantan.
Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah had told reporters after the state exco meeting that such accusations should not have been levelled at the PAS-led administration, seeing that there were reports that other tigers were seen roaming areas that have not been logged.
The article by Sinar Harian said that the Panchor lawmaker said that investigating the reasons the wild cats were lingering around villagers is a good thing but one should not simply jump to conclusions.
“They made it sound like logging had forced the tigers out. That’s not right,” said Amar.
He was asked to respond to a group of Orang Asli from Gua Musang who had submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister’s Office requesting a solution to ensure the safety of the native community there from being attacked by wild animals.
They said they believed the situation could have been avoided if the PAS administration had stopped all logging activities that had disrupted the animal’s habitat and ecosystem.
Amar said that the answer would be to investigate and capture the animals to protect people – despite the fact that these animals belong in the wild and that it is humans who have invaded their home.
Last week, 59-year-old Orang Asli villager Anek Along was mauled to death by a tiger.
In response, the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) had shot the animal dead, much to the chagrin of the villagers as well as the world at large.
One of the Orang Asli village chiefs, Nasir Dollah, from Pos Ber described the actions of the Perhilitan officers, who 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 it 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
The Malaysian chapter of the World Wildlife Federation (WWF-Malaysia) had also issued a statement voicing their sympathy for Anek’s family and concern over Perhilitan’s killing of the wild cat.
Their educated explanation on the matter stated that tigers require a sizable territory based on the availability of prey, which directly contradicts Amar’s claim.
“Individual tigers require a large territory, the size of which is determined mostly by the availability of prey. Across their ranges, tigers face unrelenting pressures from poaching, retaliatory killings, and habitat loss.
“They are forced to compete for space with dense and often growing human populations,” said WWF-Malaysia.
The solution provided by the wildlife experts to avoid human-tiger conflict is to minimise the interaction between the two species by ensuring that their habitat is not wiped out.
“When we stop threatening the resources required for a self-sustaining ecosystem, the coexistence between human and wildlife can be better managed.
“As we work towards increasing our wild tiger numbers, we also need to look at effectively managing human-tiger conflict for the safety of the communities that live close to the forest as well as the conservation of the Malayan tiger.” – The Vibes, January 12, 2022
