Govt proposes use of tracker collars on Malayan tigers

 

The Energy and Natural Resources Ministry has proposed installing tracker collars on about 150 Malayan tigers nationwide to facilitate the tracking of the endangered animals.

Minister Takiyuddin Hassan said the use of a tracker (radio) collar using (GPS) satellite technology could detect if the animal had moved to another area or left its original habitat.

“We have also instructed the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) to study the use of the tracker collar on the Malayan tiger population, as used on wild elephants previously.

“If effective, we also want to use this tracker collar on the Malayan tiger population so that it can track the animal’s whereabouts,” he said after presenting donations to associations, NGOs and clubs at his service centre in Kota Bharu today.

Takiyuddin, who is the Kota Bharu MP, also added that the government was serious about protecting the Malayan tigers from being threatened to extinction, and various actions were taken to balance the importance of development and environmental sustainability.

“We are aware of this, in fact, we have taken extraordinary action to save wildlife and recently the prime minister chaired a meeting to discuss this issue. I also tabled amendments to the Wildlife Conservation Act late last year (in Parliament) by increasing the amount of fines imposed on wildlife offenders,” he said.

Annual quota for logging

Meanwhile, commenting on the issue of tigers roaming in Pos Bihai, Gua Musang recently, believed to have been disturbed by logging activities, Takiyuddin said that each state government was given the authority according to the law that has set an annual quota for logging.

“The state government has the right to do so because every year, the state is authorised to cut logs through the annual felling ration as an economic resource, but there must be replanting and control so as not to affect wildlife habitat and so on," he said.

Media previously reported that the festive celebration of rice harvesting and river fishing by the Orang Asli community of the Temiar tribe, at Kampung Sau in Pos Bihai, turned into a tragedy when a man was killed by a tiger on Jan 7.

It was reported that in the 9.10am incident, the victim, Anek Along, in his 40s, was said to have been pounding padi huma (hill padi) behind his house, but vanished before his body was found by residents in the forest.

- Bernama