Image from Wikipedia: Tiger in the water, permission under a Creative Commons Attribution Liscense. Originally uploaded to Flickr.com by B_cool.
The Star Nwspapers today published an article on the need to save our Malayan tigers from extinction under the title, " Groups Roaring Up Support To Save Malaysian Big Cat From Extinction."
Our Malayan Tiger (Panthera tigris malayensis), is also know as Harimau Belang in Malay. According to The Star report, it's population is currently down to 500 in the wild in Peninsular Malaysia. It is listed as an endangered species here. Our Malaysian Government launched The Tiger Action Plan in 2008 with the aim to increase the population of wild tigers to 1,000 by 2020. It is hoped that the coming Year of the Tiger will encourage people to to cooperate and join forces to save the tiger from extinction.
"You can be the person who helped saved the tigers, or you can be the one who helped wipe them out."
..... Datuk Dr. Dionysius Sharma, WWF Malaysia Chief Executive
..... Datuk Dr. Dionysius Sharma, WWF Malaysia Chief Executive
There are 5 factors threatening tigers
1) Habitat loss and fragmentation
2) Commercial poaching
3) Human-tiger conflict
4) Declining prey base
5) Science deficiency in the monitoring of tigers and their prey
Commerical poaching has been identified as the most urgent threat to tigers and it has the capacity to do most damage in the shortest period of time. The tiger population has been decimated due to illegal hunting for their skins, bones and other body parts.
2) Commercial poaching
3) Human-tiger conflict
4) Declining prey base
5) Science deficiency in the monitoring of tigers and their prey
Commerical poaching has been identified as the most urgent threat to tigers and it has the capacity to do most damage in the shortest period of time. The tiger population has been decimated due to illegal hunting for their skins, bones and other body parts.
MYCAT (Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers) will be launching a Year of the Tiger Programme, a series of public awareness campaigns targeting schools and both the rural and urban public. This will kick-off at Dong Zen Temple in Jenjarom, Selangor where 1,000 faces will be painted to symbolise the 1,000 tigers to be saved by the year 2020.
Anyone with information on the illegal poaching or trading of tigers can make a report through Tiger Crime Hotline at 019-3564194
Thank you to Michelle of Rambling Woods for hosting Think(ing) Green Thursday # 33. To participate or to view contributions from other green thinkers around the globe, please visit here.
I was at the website of WWF recently and they're focusing a lot of effort on big cats. Too many species in danger of extinction. :(
ReplyDeleteHilda, when I was a young kid, I was already hearing people looking for tiger's gall bladder to cure a certain disease that causes an extremely high fever. Later when I started working, I heard stories of people wanting to consume dried tiger's penis to improve male stamina, just like viagra. They say if they can get that from a white tiger, even more potent. If many people still believe this, what will happen to the poor tigers?
ReplyDeleteA magnificent animal! The article was most interesting too!
ReplyDeleteThis and together with the orangutans over in East M'sia.
ReplyDeleteThat's a gorgeous cat!
ReplyDeleteSo pleased to hear there will be a campaign to save your tiger.
ReplyDeleteIf commercial poaching is the biggest threat to tigers, Chinese must be the major culprits.
ReplyDeleteI read that tigers are in trouble all over...for similar reasons. Other cats like our mountain lion are in serious decline. I hope we all will take steps to save out big cats.....Michelle
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