(MY) letters on shooting of tigers

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New Straits Times » Frontpage

 

Nik Aziz defends stand to hunt & kill Jeli tigers - by Azran Aziz

 

KOTA BARU, Aug 24: Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz today defended

his stand that tigers threatening the lives of residents in Jeli should be

killed.

 

" For the nature lovers, they are of the opinion that wildlife is a treasure of

the State. But as an old man taking care of the State, I feel the people's

lives are more important, " he said.

 

Nik Aziz was asked to comment on the waves of criticisms, especially by nature

lovers, levelled at him for his shoot-on-sight remarks to solve the problem of

tiger attacks in Jeli.

 

Some even described the action as wholly-unIslamic.

 

Nik Aziz said from Islam's point of view, Prophet Muhammad had listed animals

like scorpion and snake that could be killed.

 

" But I am not sure if tiger is also in the list, " he said at his official

residence.

 

The Menteri Besar had on Aug 14 said that a large-scale operation involving

the army would be carried to hunt down the tigers in Jeli, and that the State

Government would foot the expenses for the two-month exercise.

 

He said he was all for the shooting of the animals rather than using

tranquillisers or traps as these methods would not solve the problem.

 

 

 

New Straits Times » Letters

They are the victims

 

Aug 28: THE tiger menace must be viewed in the correct perspective.

 

In this situation, both the rubber tappers in Jeli and the tigers are victims

of circumstances

beyond their control.

 

To solve the problem, all efforts must be taken to ensure villagers are

protected from

tigers, while also ensuring the survival of this species which is threatened

with extinction.

 

Families of tiger victims must be compensated so that they will not take the

law into their

own hands. After all, the villagers are not to blame for being attacked by

tigers.

 

Shooting of tigers may not kill them, but injuring them will turn them into

man-eaters.

 

Since tigers prey on wild boar, killing them may cause the wild boar population

to rise,

resulting in a new menace in Kelantan.

 

What we need is a long-term policy on wildlife management. Take India for

example.

People who venture into the forest are encouraged to wear masks of human faces

at the

back of their heads. This will fool tigers and prevent them from attacking from

behind.

 

Villagers must also keep their livestock in pens at night as wandering animals

attract tigers.

 

A survey of the tiger population in Kelantan is necessary so that key tiger

habitats can be

identified.

 

With more forest areas being cleared each day, it is to be expected that tigers

and other

wildlife will be driven from their habitats.

 

SITI JAMIAH MOHAMAD YOB - Kuala Lumpur

 

New Straits Times » Letters

Why tigers prey on humans, animals to survive

 

Aug 28: I STILL have the July 31 copy of the NST's The Next Step, which showed

a tiger

shot through the head on suspicion of killing a rubber tapper in Jeli,

Kelantan.

 

Then, a " sage " from Kelantan suggested that all tigers be killed.

 

On Aug 19, the NST published four letters suggesting solutions to the " tiger

problem " .

 

The primary cause of this problem is the wanton slaughter of deer and wild boar

by

night-time shotgun poachers. And then there is the endless encroachment on

their habitat

by farmers and developers.

 

Tigers are left with no alternative and, to survive, they have to prey on

animals and

humans.

 

(Remember Lat's cartoon showing a man bringing home a deer he bagged in the

bushes,

while a tiger was carrying off the man's goat?) Come to think of it, if the

sage suggested

the killing of all tigers because one or two lives were lost, shouldn't he also

suggest that all

motorists be killed because thousands of lives were lost in accidents? Tigers

should be

given a sanctuary to live and breed in. The tigers are our heritage and pride.

Hunting should

be banned. Poachers should be jailed and whipped, not pay puny fines.

 

Furthermore, restaurants serving wild animal meat should be closed or told to

change their

menu.

 

MOHAMED TAHIR TALIB - Johor Baru

 

 

 

The Star Online >

Thursday, August 22, 2002

Shooting tigers not the solution - Letter from SAM

 

SAHABAT Alam Malaysia is horrified at news of the recent

decision to shoot tigers in Kelantan.

 

The proposed decision is made without the slightest

concern for the fact that tigers are totally protected and seriously threatened.

 

Rather than passing a death sentence on the defenceless

tigers, it is about time the authorities took a serious look at the root cause

of this tiger-human conflict.

 

Shooting all tigers will not solve the problem.

 

Does this mean the authorities will also embark on

another shooting operation against elephants should these marauding pachyderms

emerge from the surrounding forest and pose a threat to villagers and crops?

 

Perhaps the authorities have failed to realise that

increasing human population and the demands of the people for forest resources

have led to the destruction of the flora and fauna.

 

It could be said even the most protected areas are

modified environments and in many cases parks and reserves have only remained on

paper while no effort is being taken to study the impact of human intrusions and

violations of protected areas.

 

Furthermore, protected areas are demarcated according to

political considerations but for animals, there are no political boundaries and

the tiger population may live outside protected areas.

 

Clearly there is a need to reduce human-wildlife

conflict through a series of processes such as the mapping of corridors for

access route of the animals, planning for necessary resettlement of villagers to

avoid conflict at the same time taking into consideration land use pattern,

integrating the local community to wildlife management.

 

Lastly, a forum should be formed to bring together

activists, conservationists and park managers with a common agenda.

 

But all this requires money and the funding support

needs to be worked out.

 

Hopefully there will be a change in attitude and

acceptance of the fact that there will be no conservation activity without

political dedication and interest.

 

Tigers and all other species should be regarded as

valuable resources and they have every right to share this earth with man.

 

Saving them and their habitats will be a wise investment

in the survival of our species.