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On saving tigers, the relevant ministry must do the needful

V Thomas has my endorsement for his comprehensive reporting as to how we could save the tigers from going extinction or rather before they are gone forever from Earth like the dinosaurs.

Of course we have a responsibility to protect the Malaysian tigers from going extinction.

Since the expansion of national development for housing and industries had penetrated or rather made much further inroads right into the natural habitat of wildlife, many species of birds have took flights and left the forest for good.

In the process they felled many trees and bulldozed lands to make way for building new townships and new sites for industries. This invasion had chased away the squirrels, monkeys, wild fowls, wild boars, goats, rabbits and snakes, etc, etc.

As a result, hypothetically speaking, there will be a shortage of ‘food’ for tigers and other animals. Obviously, the big animals will soon die from hunger.

The government should demarcate a rainforest or jungle as a 100 percent reserved land for conservation or strictly a ‘home’ for wildlife animals like tigers, lions, elephants, boars, bears, deers, goats, snakes and also for the birds and the bees. Thereafter, every animal should be able to find prey to kill for food for self-survival.

Also, this place should be 100 percent kept out of bounds regardless of who they are, let alone government servants and the public. This prohibition should include tourists, researchers and natives, except to those who are officially appointed as caretakers.

The way to go (to make the place safe) is to cordon off the entire place (the rainforest reserves) for at least 10 years to allow the animals to cohabitate, to let their young ones grow up to an adult tiger or whatever.

Exactly, it should be run as a Protected and Prohibited Area.

If not the lives of tigers and other animals will be at stake or rather endangered when hunted down by poachers and sold in the market for human consumption as exotic foods or delicacies or elixirs to prolong life.

Most importantly, the government together with the collaboration of the International Wildlife Conservation Organisation should get the tigers and any other endangered animals to be officially gazetted as Protected Animals. And also to impose a law to sentence anyone caught catching the tigers dead or alive to a six-month jail term together with a RM5,000 fine for each live tiger caught or carcass found in their custody.

The bottom line is, this is a job for the government (The land and forestry minister or the relevant ministry) as it involves getting a whole or part of a jungle or rainforest to be allocated to run as a wildlife conservatory - as well it needs a lot of funding to keep and maintain the place going for the long term.


LAU BING is a community activist and writer in Subang Jaya.

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