Written by Azlan Shah

What would our world look like without the roar of the tiger? Once the apex predators of vast Asian landscapes, tigers now face a dire threat to their existence. With an estimated population of just 4500 in the wild, as well as the fact that they have lost 93% of their original range is proof that this majestic creature is on the verge of extinction. In the past decade alone, tiger habitats in India, Indochina and Southeast Asia have all shrunk by 40%. As threats to the survival of wild tigers are mounting, the world without tigers may become a reality in our lifetime.

This decline of tiger populations can be attributed to ten main factors that threaten their survival. Poaching remains one of the most significant dangers which is driven by illegal wildlife trade that values tiger parts for traditional medicine and luxury goods. Along with this, habitat loss due to increasing urbanisation and deforestation has led to increasing human / wildlife conflicts.

Other main factors include:

• Climate change:
• Risk of inbreeding and a reduction in the gene pool.
• Prey depletion
• Infrastructure development
• Lack of effective conservation policies
• Political instability
• Public awareness and support.

These were all acknowledged in the world Tiger summit of 2010, held in St Petersburg Russia.

  

Malaysia

In Malaysia, almost 50 years have passed since the tiger was first listed as a totally protected species under the Protection of Wild Life Act in 1976. Home to the Malayan tiger, Malaysia was estimated to have as many as 3000 wild tigers in the 1950s. However, the consequences of rapid development, loss of habitat, agricultural expansion, and widespread poaching have caused the population to decline to fewer than 150 individuals in 2022 (WWF Malaysia).

The primary challenge facing tiger conservation in Malaysia is habitat loss. This is largely driven by deforestation for oil palm plantations (5.8 million hectares and about 18% of the Country’s total and area), logging and large-scale infrastructure development. As the demand for palm oil has surged globally, Malaysia has prioritised the expansion of plantations, leading to this sector becoming a major contributor to the country’s GDP at the expense of natural habitats. Although palm oil expansion is strictly regulated by the Malaysian forestry department, the department faces significant challenges in balancing environmental impact with economic benefits and therefore economic pressures often overshadow environmental concerns. This is particularly evident in Sarawak (a Malaysian state in Borneo) where recent reports indicate that around 80% of the original forested area has been cleared for agricultural use. It is here evident that short term economic gains including those of job creation and increasing export have been emphasised while the issues concerning the loss of wildlife habitats and ever-increasing carbon emissions have been played down.

100 years ago, peninsular Malaysia was blanketed with natural forests, today less than 44% remains. 

Another prominent issue is poaching fuelled by the illegal wildlife trade. Today, every part of the tiger is in high demand with much of it being used for unsanctioned traditional medicines in Countries such as China and Vietnam. Poachers typically use snares as they are cheap and easy to get; they are hidden among the thick vegetation of the rainforest and once caught, animals can suffer for days. They will eventually die due to blood loss or hunger.

In the Royal Belum State Park (an area of 17500 hectares) the issue of tiger poaching is particularly concerning due to the area’s proximity to Southern Thailand where the demand for tiger parts is high. Due to dense forests, poachers are able to cross the border into Malaysian territory and hunt tigers with a high chance of being able to evade detection.

Currently, Malaysian official forest reserves comprise of two categories: permanently protected forest (49%), where no logging is allowed, and productive forest (51%), where commercial activities namely quarrying, and sustainable logging are permitted under strict licensing conditions set by the Forestry department. Efforts are currently being made to increase the amount of permanently protected forests such as declaration of the Royal Belum State Park in 2007 which consists of 117500 hectares as a state park. Another additional problem is that the permanently protected forests are fragmented and, in some cases, even isolated ‘islands’ as a result of road infrastructure. To combat this, there is a central forest spine in which multiple ecological corridors across forests have been identified in attempts to further protect endangered species such as tigers and elephants. This initiative (CFS) would increase prey availability for tigers, reduce human-wildlife contact and implement habitat connectivity which is vital for genetic diversity and ensuring that tigers can access larger territories for hunting and mating.

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) also play a vital role in Malaysia, particularly through initiatives such as Rimau which focuses on training the Orang Asli (indigenous people of Malaysia) to serve as ranges. These trained rangers are instrumental in monitoring tiger populations and their habitats as well as identifying and removing snare traps. Furthermore, they also use techniques such as camera and motion sensor traps in the aims of catching poachers to protect their environment. This has generally been effective and in certain protected areas, the number of tiger spotting’s has increased by 20 – 30% with poaching activities also being reduced by up to 50%.

India

India has made exceptional progress in the realms of tiger conservation and has made significant strides by increasing its tiger population from 1800 in 1972 to now 3170 (as recorded in the 2023 census). India is now home to 75% of the worlds tigers and this reassurance is testament to the effectiveness of conservation efforts implemented by both the Indian government and NGOs.

One key reason behind this remarkable success is Project Tiger which was established in 1972 by the Indian government when there were fewer than 2000 tigers remaining in the wild. To this day, this remains one of the longest running conservation programs in the world. One aspect of this was the designation of 53 tiger reserves covering approximately 75000 square kilometres (around 2% of the country’s geographical area) where strict anti-poaching measures are in place. They are also completely free of grazing livestock and in some cases, humans, which is particularly important as scientists have argued that in order for tigers, to thrive, the absence of humans and their livestock is needed. Thousands of families were reallocated away from these areas as a result and between the years spanning 2005 until 2003, around 22,000 families were moved; most of these relocations were involuntary.

Moving towards the future, the Indian government has launched Tiger Vision 2047 which aims to provide a sustainable population of tigers by the year 2047 by developing ecological corridors (similar to the central forested spine system in Malaysia). This vision also aims to increase public awareness about tiger conservation and the ecological importance of tigers through summits, campaigns, and nation-wide educational programs.

Overall, tigers are not only majestic symbols of the wild, but also crucial components of their ecosystems. Their role as apex predators helps maintain and regulate the populations of all other animals in their food chains. However, the ongoing threats of habitat loss, poaching and climate change pose great risk to their survival. Protecting tigers requires an intense effort that includes habitat preservation and restoration, increase public awareness and education, as well as large anti-poaching efforts