About MYCAT
Our Journey
Founded in 2003, MYCAT emerged as a pivotal platform facilitating communication and collaboration between the Malaysian government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with a shared objective of the conservation of Malayan tigers. The founding members include the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia (DWNP), Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), TRAFFIC, and WWF-Malaysia. In subsequent years, the alliance expanded with the inclusion of Wildlife Conservation Society-Malaysia in 2005 and Wildlife Society of Selangor (WILD) in 2017.
In the subsequent decade, MYCAT has evolved to engage members of the public for a greater stride towards the recovery of wild Malayan tigers through its Citizen Action for Tiger (CAT) and Community Ranger (CR) programmes.
WILD is a non-profit charitable organization, administers and implements all MYCAT programs in compliance with Malaysian laws.
Timeline
2003
MYCAT founded.
2007
Wildlife Crime Hotline implemented to report wildlife crimes such as poaching, the sale of exotic wildlife alive or dead and traditional medicines containing illicit wildlife ingredients.
2006-2008
Contributed to the formulation of Malaysia’s National Tiger Conservation Action Plan (NTCAP).
2008
Advocated for the enhancement of the International Trade in Endangered Species Act 2008.
2008-2010
Contributed to the formulation of Malaysia’s Central Forest Spine (CFS) Master Plan.
Advocated to elevate the legal status of the sambar deer to a fully protected species.
2009-2011
Research found that the Sungai Yu Ecological Corridor was not viable due to poaching and forest fragmentation.
2010
First CAT Walk piloted.
2010-2012
Advocated for the implementation of green infrastructure at the Central Spine Road highway that bisects the Sungai Yu Ecological Corridor.
2013
First Volunteer CAT Walk leaders certified.
2013-2015
Advocated to elevate the conservation status of the Malayan Tiger to Critically Endangered under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
2014
Central Spine Road at the Sungai Yu Ecological Corridor completed.
2015
First evidence of wildlife recovery within the Sungai Yu Ecological Corridor.
2016
Reforestation efforts begin. Ministry of Works agrees to close old road around the longest eco-viaduct to minimize poaching and encroachment.
2019
Community Ranger programme launched. State government announces the gazettement of 128-ha of land next to the viaduct as forest reserve.
2020
First evidence of wildlife using the eco-viaduct.
Our Location
MYCAT is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur and runs a field office in Merapoh Pahang close to our field site at the Sungai Yu (Yu River) Ecological Corridor in Pahang, Malaysia.
Sungai Yu (Yu River) Ecological Corridor, Pahang
This 4,000 ha corridor is an area of strategic importance. Identified as Primary Linkage 1 of 37 corridors within Peninsula Malaysia under the in Malaysia’s Central Forest Spine (CFS) Master Plan (2010), it is the sole linkage connecting two of Peninsular Malaysia’s largest forest landscapes: Taman Negara, the country’s largest national park, and the Titiwangsa mountain range. MYCAT has been working here since 2009 to secure this crucial linkage and effectively create the 4th largest tiger landscape (3,500,000 ha) in the world. Without this linkage no forest block in Malaysia is large enough to support a viable population of Malayan tigers.
Our Sponsors
MYCAT’s efforts are financially supported by numerous private donors, corporate companies and donor agencies.
