There was a time when the Malayan tiger’s roar echoed across Malaysia’s forests. Those roars have slowly diminished, silenced by snares. Fewer than 150 Malayan tigers now remain in the wild, a stark reminder that our national icon could vanish within our lifetime.
But there is still hope. The Belum-Temengor Forest Complex in northern Peninsular Malaysia, one of the last remaining strongholds for the species, continues to show signs of life.
Camera traps have captured images of several individual tigers, rangers report tiger footprints and evidence of cubs has been documented in recent years. These fragments of hope remind us that the Malayan tiger can recover — if the right actions are sustained and scaled.
Over the past decade, unprecedented collaboration between conservationists, government agencies, indigenous communities and the private sector has helped protect this landscape.
Thousands of snares have been removed, patrols have multiplied and cover tens of thousands of kilometres, and Orang Asli communities have become effective stewards of the forest. These combined efforts have not only supported tigers, but also safeguarded elephants, hornbills, tapirs and countless other species that share their habitat.
One of the clearest lessons from the past decade is that no single organisation or sector alone can save the Malayan tiger. Conservation is inherently collaborative and requires a whole-of-society approach.
“Collaboration is key, and we must all work together even more strongly to ensure that the Malayan tiger not only survives but thrives in its natural habitat. The support from Perhilitan, the Perak State Parks Corporation (PSPC), the Peninsular Malaysia Forestry Department and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) — such as RIMAU, the Wildlife Conservation Society, Pelindung and Traffic, Panthera and Mycat — and all our donors has been invaluable in these efforts. Together, we have made significant strides, but there is still much to be done,” says Sophia Lim, CEO and executive director at WWF-Malaysia.
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