The MNS would like to express concern over the tragedy of the man-eating tiger. Two Malaysians were needlessly killed by the tiger, PERHILITAN staff (and army, police personnel, and other volunteers) risked their lives in tracking and killing the tiger, and the tiger, a victim of irresponsible hunters, had to be terminated. MNS would like to express our deepest sympathies to the families of the two Malaysians, and with due respect, appreciation to PERHILITAN staff and other volunteers for tracking and eliminating the threat, at the risk of being killed.

MNS understands that ideally, under normal circumstances, a healthy tiger could be captured and relocated elsewhere, but a wounded and maimed tiger, is still dangerous, as, unable to compete among his peers for food, it will still resort to killing easier prey, including man. Putting a wounded and fierce tiger in a zoo will demand special management considerations, which might not be possible in local zoos, with their limited resources.

Basically, the tragedy should not have happened, as tigers are usually shy creatures, and do not usually attack humans unless they were wounded or too old to hunt for their normal prey. However, due to injuries inflicted by poachers, the tiger was forced to hunt for easier prey, (which includes livestock and man). Due to the irresponsible act of another, two innocent lives were unnecessarily killed.

MNS feel that there should be better control and enforcement over hunters and firearms abuse. Logging roads, encroachment, and land conversions have made our remaining forests more accessible, and with the increased number of firearms issued to farmers (ostensibly for crop protection), and voluntary citizen militias, there is a natural, increased tendency for hunting abuses, and ideally, monitoring and enforcement should be stepped up as a response to this increased threat. There is also greater added temptation for trapping and poaching wild tigers and other protected animals, as the decline in their populations mean that existing tigers (and their body parts) are more valuable, and will fetch higher prices.

Tigers, being a completely protected species, are under threat from habitat loss, and the situation in Malaysia, though perhaps slightly better than her neighbours, is quite serious, as tiger habitats have been relentlessly logged, segmented, or converted into other land uses; and poaching will increasingly become a major factor in its decimation.

Which is a pity, as the South East Asian tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti), the proud symbol on our National Crest, do not demand much from us, just a decent breathing space to survive and breed, free from disturbances and human interference.

Dato' Dr. Salleh Mohd. Nor
President, MNS
(Letter to the Editor, NST)