There are only an estimated 200 Malaysian tigers remaining in the wild. This video from WWF is encouraging since it captures three sub-adult cubs and their mother inhabiting Belum-Temengor Forest Complex. This is evidence that tiger population can rebound if given enough habitat and protection. Snares set by poachers remain a serious threat to wildlife throughout Southeast Asia. Until the wildlife trade is eliminated or drastically curtailed these precious cubs face an uncertain future. WWF informs US that Belum-Temengor in Malaysia is one of Southeast Asia’s most important tiger landscapes, yet it experienced a 50% decline in tiger numbers from 2009-2018 largely due to widespread snaring. In 2017 and 2018, the anti-poaching team in Malaysia had deactivated snares around the same area, which is a hotspot for foreign poachers. Since then, there has been a drastic increase in the number of patrol teams and a sharper decline in the instances of snares. Persistence and vigilance is what is required so that conservationists and governments can meet their Tx2 pledges made in the Year of the Tiger, 2010.
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| credit: S. Kundu/WWF |