It is truly a tragedy that the rare clouded leopard was shot dead by wildlife rangers, and that Malaysia continues to decimate its biodiversity by killing rare species with which our country is blessed. If we only appreciate that within one generation our children will only be able to read about these magnificent creatures in books.

The killing of these animals also violates many international conventions that Malaysia supports. For example, under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), this animal can not even be taken out of the country.

Under Malaysian Environmental Impact Assessment requirements, a project that could threaten these protected species would need to show specific mitigations taken so that these rare and protected species are not harmed.

Yet, despite these laws, the killing continues. A more fundamental question is, whatgives humans the right to kill these animals and destroy their habitat at a rate that will eliminate them from the earth? Will the killing only end when the last animal is dead at our hands?