Guest guest Posted August 13, 2002 Report Share Posted August 13, 2002 New Straits Times » Letters Strive to conserve tigers in the wild Aug 13: THE Malaysian Nature Society is saddened to hear that another man has been mauled by a tiger in Jeli, Kelantan. Is this the same tiger that mauled the two women in May and June, or is it another " rogue? " Why are there so many tiger attacks lately? Is it due to a loss of habitat or food from heavy hunting, or are there people purposely shooting at them? There was a report from reliable sources that in that part of the country, people with firearms were very fond of shooting at tigers. That is most regret-table, if that it is true. The all too frequent cases of tiger attacks raise some questions that need to be answered. It is hoped that the authorities will investigate these incidents and find their root causes. The authorities must develop and implement a proper tiger management programme for the long-term survival of this unique animal. The local community must also play a greater role in reporting sightings and especially any illegal shootings. Regulations must be enforced for gun owners. Fines should be increased for poaching in general and of tigers in particular. The fines should be increased so as to be a deterrent. How many more tigers can we afford to lose? The tiger habitats are very much fragmented and small pockets of land cannot accommodate the large territorial needs of tigers. Loss of the adequately broad genetic base can result in inbreeding and that can be the start of the extinction of the species. It is time for us to take a concerted, integrated and deliberate action to con-serve the Malaysian tigers in the wild. There is still a chance of keeping the animal on our national crest in the wild, but we must act now. Everyone should be involved, from the authorities, the public to the world community. We would have lost an invaluable national natural heritage if the tigers were to go extinct or limited to zoos only. From Malaysian Nature Society Kuala Lumpur _______________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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