With habitats shrinking due to logging, tigers prowl closer to humans

A group of Orang Asli representing the Temiar tribe today submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister's Office urging Putrajaya to take concrete actions to stop deforestation activities in Gua Musang, Kelantan.

They blamed the recent fatal attack by a tiger and several sightings of the mammal near Orang Asli villages in the district on logging activities that caused wildlife to lose their habitats.

The group's spokesperson Nasir Dollah told reporters when met outside the PM's Office this afternoon that they hope Putrajaya would pay Kelantan its petroleum royalties so that the state can stop depending on timber as a source of income.

"We believe that these incidents happened because of the development activities such as logging of timber, mining and opening of large scale plantations.

"When the jungle becomes smaller and smaller, the habitat area for wildlife would also shrink that it comes to an extent that they cannot find enough food and are pushed towards Orang Asli villages.

"We do not blame the animals. The problem we have happened because of human's doing - the doing of the people in power, namely the state and the federal governments," he said.

Last Friday, a 59-year-old Orang Asli villager was mauled to death by a tiger at Kampung Sau, near Pos Bihai in Gua Musang and led to the tiger being shot dead by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia.

The incident also led the Gua Musang Education Department to suspend physical schooling sessions at SK Bihai.

"In our memorandum to the Prime Minister, we urge the federal government to give oil royalties to the Kelantan state government.

"Because the state deputy Menteri Besar said they would not continue logging activities if the federal government gives Kelantan their royalties.

"So, we hope that Putrajaya would give the royalties to Kelantan, and then we can see if they would really stop logging," Nasir said.

Loss of habitat

The spokesperson also criticised a claim that the tiger that mauled the man in Kampung Sau was infected by rabies.

According to Nasir, Orang Asli believe that the main reason why tigers would go near their villages is because of habitat loss.

Once densely forested, the interior of Gua Musang has been the site of major deforestation due to agriculture and logging activities over the past several years, all of which pose a threat to both local wildlife and Orang Asli communities.

The proposed Nenggiri hydroelectric dam project in Gua Musang also poses another ecological threat that locals said would displace several Orang Asli communities. - Mkini