Why is the Malayan Tiger, Malaysia's national symbol, on the verge of extinction?

The Malayan Tiger is on the brink.

There are less than 150 of Malaysia’s national animals left in the wild.

Now, a number of tiger deaths has led to some declaring the situation a ‘national emergency.’

But what do we know about the Malayan Tiger? Why is it almost extinct?

Let’s take a closer look:

What do we know about it?

According to MalaysianWildlife.org, the tiger’s scientific name is Panthera tigris jacksoni / Panthera tigris malayensis.

It is usually found in peninsular Malaysia as well as the Straits of Johor on the island of Singapore.

Around eight feet long, it can weigh as much as 130 kilos.

It eats wild boar, deer, bearded pigs, sun bear, and young elephant calfs.

In the wild, it has a life expectancy of up to 20 years

The Malayan Tiger is the country’s national symbol. It is also depicted on the country’s coat of arms with its orange colour and thin black stripes.

One of the smallest tiger species, the Malayan Tiger has only been recognised as a sub-species of tiger for the past two decades.

It was earlier thought to be the same species as the Indochinese tiger.

As per WWF, the Malayan tiger is protected under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.

It has also been labelled ‘critically endangered’ under the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species.

As per Down To Earth, Malaysia had around 3,000 tigers in the 1950s.

So, what happened?

Why is it almost extinct?

Habitat and poaching have greatly reduced the tiger numbers over the decade.

Today, less than 150 tigers remain in the wild.

As per Down To Earth, Malayasia’s Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Nature Conservation in June gave that number to the lower house of the country’s Parliament.

The website quoted Datuk Seri Huang Tiong Sii as saying that number came from the First National Tiger Survey.

The survey was carried out by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, WWF-Malaysia and other NGOs from 2016 to 2020.

Fresh concerns about the national symbol were raised in June after photos and videos of a dead tiger went viral on social media.

Photos showed the tiger’s carcass in a stream in the rural northern state of Kelantan.

The remains were found by forest rangers.

As per CNN, at least four tigers have been killed by cars between November and May.

Down To Earth quoted Tiong Sii as saying the government has taken nine strategic actions to help tiger conservation.

These actions, approved the Union Cabinet in 2021, will continue till 2030.

The government is also using Orang Asli – the oldest inhabitants of the Malay Peninsula – as scouts and trackers to combat poachers, as per DTE.

 ‘A national crisis’

According to MalaysianWildlife.org, the Bali tiger, the Caspian tiger, and the Javan tiger have all gone extinct.

Now, experts say the situation for Malayan tigers is critical.

“The plight of Malayan tigers is a national crisis that requires the full attention and commitment of all Malaysians,” Henry Chan, director of conservation at the World Wildlife Fund Malaysia (WWF), told CNN.

“These magnificent creatures continue to teeter on the brink of extinction,” Chan added. “Losing just one tiger brings the entire species closer to extinction, making every individual tiger’s life extremely critical to the survival of the species.”

Mark Rayan Darmaraj, country director of Wildlife Conservation Society Malaysia, said paochers were arrested the next day in nearby Pahang with “the skull and bones of a tiger.”

“They suffer from habitat loss, prey depletion and retaliatory killings stemming from human-tiger conflicts,” Darmaraj added.

“Additionally, the construction of roads through their habitats increases the risk of fatal vehicle collisions as seen in several recent incidents.”

With inputs from agencies