Understanding the Malayan Tiger

The Tiger

Although scientists do not agree on the intraspecific taxonomy of the tiger (Panthera tigris), we consider all wild tigers found in Malaysia as the Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni). Only 150 were estimated to remain.

Previously classified as Indochinese tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti), based on genetic studies the sub-species was divided into two groups found in: northern Indochina and in the Malay Peninsula, which encompasses the southern end of Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia in 2004.

IUCN classified the Malayan tiger as Critically Endangered in 2015.

In 2020, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks released the results of Malaysia’s 1st National Tiger Survey (NTS), which used Systematic Camera Traps in 75% of the 44,000km survey plots from 2016 to 2018. It was discovered that the population of Malayan tigers were below 200. At present there are estimated to be fewer than 150 Malayan tigers remaining in the wild.

Source: Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia, 2008. National Tiger Conservation Action Plan for Malaysia.

The Main Range Landscape

It forms Peninsula Malaysia’s Central Forest Spine and stretches from the Malaysia-Thai border to Negeri Sembilan.

The Greater Taman Negara Landscape

Located in the east of the Central Forest Spine which includes Taman Negara National Park, the country’s largest protected area.

The Southern Forest Landscape

Found south of the Pahang River but isolated from the landscapes above.

Tiger Landscape

Each of these forest landscapes has a priority core area for tiger conservation, with different NGOs working within these areas:

Belum-Temenggor Complex
Taman Negara National Park
Endau-Rompin Complex

The identification and protection of priority ecological corridors increase the potential of the tiger landscapes to conserve tigers in Malaysia by allowing the continued dispersal of tigers across these landscapes. Small populations of tigers that become isolated from others are subject to a high chance of local extinction due to various environmental and ecological stochastic events. Connectivity will provide access to a greater range, prey base and mates.

Sungai Yu Ecological Corridor, also known as Corridor 1, is a narrow strip of forest that connects the Main Range and Taman Negara (near the western border of the Park in Pahang) to create the fourth largest tiger landscape in the world. This makes it the most important wildlife corridor on the Malaysian Peninsula.

Threats

Most declining tiger populations are threatened primarily by habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching and wildlife trade, declining prey base and human-tiger conflict.

While habitat protection is essential for the long-term survival of the tiger, illegal trade is a more urgent threat, having the greatest potential to do maximum harm in a short time. Throughout Southeast Asia, one of the main threats comes from the trade in tiger parts for use in traditional medicines. Many different cultures use tiger parts for their purported medicinal qualities, including the bones, blood and sexual organs. In a number of countries, skin, skull, claws and canine teeth are traded as trophies and talismans, and meat consumed in restaurants serving exotic dishes. In addition, tigers may be killed or maimed by snares set by poachers who do not necessarily target tigers.

Poaching and wildlife trade

(c) TRAFFIC_Traditional Chinese Medicines.jpg

Although Malaysia still retains 45% of the land area as forest cover and there are other habitat types that support tigers, the loss of a majority of lowland forests in the last century caused a great decline in the numbers of many large mammals, including the tiger. The cumulative impacts of forest fragmentation due to the construction of roads, pipelines and railways that may impose a greater lasting threat to the tiger, increasing the potential for extinction in small populations.

Habitat loss and fragmentation

Humans compete with the tiger for space and food. In Malaysia, when conflict events are reported, a DWNP response team is dispatched. Cases of human-tiger conflict in Malaysia constitute only around 4% of general human-wildlife conflict incidents. Between 1991 and 2006, 2,398 complaints, including tigers attacking humans, livestock or tigers sighted by villagers, were filed - an average of 160 cases annually. However there has been an increase in the number of road accidents with tigers including several documented fatalities.

Human-tiger conflict

The tiger’s three main prey species are wild boar, barking deer and sambar deer. All protected species can be legally hunted but with a licence from DWNP. There is, however, a high poaching incidence of these species, and abuse of licences issued does occur (hunt outside the hunting period, exceeding the permitted limit). The 2021 outbreak of African Swine Flu in Malaysia had a detrimental effect on wild boar populations. Along with a diminished prey base, this may have contributed to an increasing number of wild tigers entering human populated areas in search of food.

Declining prey base

(c) Kae Kawanishi_Wildboar carcass caught in a snare.JPG

Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) is a virus contracted from infected dogs. As tigers are forced into areas with a human population due to deforestation, forest fragmentation and a lack of prey base, this brings them into contact with dogs which may be infected with CDV. First detected in wild tigers in Russia, CDV causes ‬respiratory and gastrointestinal disease, but can progress to infect the central nervous system leading to behavioural signs, such as loss of fear and a lack of normal aggressive responses and ultimately death. It was first documented in a Malayan tiger in July 2019 in Terengganu.