We all know that some restaurants serve "exotic" meat, i.e. protected wildlife species that are illegally hunted and sold. If you didn't already know, poaching of endangered wildlife is one of the two main causes of our natural heritage going extinct.
Check this out for an interesting step-by-step tutorial on how to "tapau" (shut down) those restaurants that serve illegal wildlife meat.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Earth Day
Today is Earth Day.
What can I do to appreciate God's creation?
The first thing I should do is to thank God for providing everything that I need here on my home planet, Earth.
Then I must remember that I am sharing this planet with more than 6.8 billion people, and a few thousand tigers.*
I must take only what I truly need so that others may have enough for their needs.
*Note: the human population continues to increase while the tiger population continues to decline unless we do something to help tigers survive and rebound.
What can I do to appreciate God's creation?
The first thing I should do is to thank God for providing everything that I need here on my home planet, Earth.
Then I must remember that I am sharing this planet with more than 6.8 billion people, and a few thousand tigers.*
I must take only what I truly need so that others may have enough for their needs.
*Note: the human population continues to increase while the tiger population continues to decline unless we do something to help tigers survive and rebound.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Tiger's 13
As you can see from the map above, the tiger's natural range has shrunk tremendously from what it used to be. It's still shrinking. At the present rate, Habitat loss and poaching will wipe out wild tigers forever, unless we reverse the trend.
There are only 13 countries in the world where tigers roam in the wild. These “tiger range countries” (TRC) are:
1. Bangladesh
2. Bhutan
3. Cambodia
4. China
5. India
6. Indonesia
7. Lao PDR
8. Malaysia
9. Myanmar
10. Nepal
11. Russia
12. Thailand
13. Vietnam.
Malaysia has an estimated 500 out of the 3,000 tigers remaining in the wild worldwide (i.e. in the TRCs). That means Malaysia hosts 1/6 or 17% of the world's wild tiger population! Imagine, one out of six tigers in the wild is found in Malaysia. What a privilege. What a responsibility.
Of course, there are many other countries where tigers are kept in captivity. But these don't count towards the natural, wild and native biodiversity. Sadly, there are more tigers in captivity than in the wild today. It is estimated that there are 5,000-10,000 tigers in captivity in the U.S.A. That's more than the total wild tiger population of the whole world!
There are only 13 countries in the world where tigers roam in the wild. These “tiger range countries” (TRC) are:
1. Bangladesh
2. Bhutan
3. Cambodia
4. China
5. India
6. Indonesia
7. Lao PDR
8. Malaysia
9. Myanmar
10. Nepal
11. Russia
12. Thailand
13. Vietnam.
Malaysia has an estimated 500 out of the 3,000 tigers remaining in the wild worldwide (i.e. in the TRCs). That means Malaysia hosts 1/6 or 17% of the world's wild tiger population! Imagine, one out of six tigers in the wild is found in Malaysia. What a privilege. What a responsibility.
Of course, there are many other countries where tigers are kept in captivity. But these don't count towards the natural, wild and native biodiversity. Sadly, there are more tigers in captivity than in the wild today. It is estimated that there are 5,000-10,000 tigers in captivity in the U.S.A. That's more than the total wild tiger population of the whole world!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Do or Die
Our Malayan tiger population is dwindling and dying due to entirely preventable causes. If the tiger becomes extinct, it would be our fault.
Here are some things we can do to give our tigers a fighting chance of survival in the wild:
1. Value and cherish our national living heritage. If we don’t care whether our tigers continue to roam our forests, or end up in a cooking pot, then half the battle is already lost.
2. Protect tiger habitats. This means maintaining large swathes of natural forest areas and not fragmenting forests into patches here and there.
3. Stop consuming tiger products. Don't eat tiger meat, penis or bones. Don't wear tiger skin or teeth. Kill the demand for tiger products, especially in China.
4. Protect tigers' food supply, i.e. deer and other tiger prey. If we overhunt deer, the tigers will have no food.
5. Improve wildlife protection laws. Plug all loopholes and increase penalties for violations. Give the law more bite.
6. Increase enforcement of wildlife protection laws. Patrol tiger habitats. Monitor border checkpoints, especially to Thailand. Impose maximum fines and jail sentences on offenders.
7. Eradicate corruption among enforcement officers. They should be protecting tigers, not colluding with poachers.
8. Assist communities affected by human-tiger conflicts. Educate villagers on how to live peacefully with tigers. Compensate those who have incurred losses due to tiger attacks on them or their property.
9. Increase the economic value of tigers alive in the wild. Promote eco-tourism and increase the existence value of tigers. The problem is that right now tigers are more valuable dead than alive.
10. Collect a licensing fee from every person and organization that uses the word "tiger" or any picture or icon of a tiger for their commercial gain.
The tiger is our national animal. Our heritage. But today only less than 500 of them remain in the wild. As Malaysians, we need to stand up and protect our heritage. Speak to your children. Speak to your leaders. Every one of us can make a difference.
For further information, please visit MYCAT (www.malayantiger.net), WWF Malaysia (www.wwf.org.my) and the Department of Wildlife & National Parks (www.wildlife.gov.my).
This blog post is made in conjunction with the Tiger Blogfest 2010 initiated by Planet of the Monyets.
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