Guest guest Posted October 29, 2002 Report Share Posted October 29, 2002 ***************************Advertisement*************************** eCentral - Your Entertainment Guide http://www.star-ecentral.com ***************************************************************** This message was forwarded to you by yitzeling. Comment from sender: This article is from thestar.com.my URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2002/10/26/nation/cctigers & sec=nation ________________________ Saturday, October 26, 2002 & #8216;Create buffer zone to prevent attacks & #8217; PETALING JAYA: The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) has suggested that a buffer zone be created around plantations as a short-term measure to prevent tiger attacks in Jeli, Kelantan. WWF Animal Species Conservation Unit senior head Dr Dionysius Sharma said there were reasons why tigers attacked plantation workers whom they mistook for being their prey. “From the feedback we get, we found out that the rubber plantations were poorly maintained resulting in thick undergrowth which makes it difficult for the tiger to detect its prey. “Humans are not part of the tigers & #8217; diet so they rarely attack people. But they could have been following wild boar, which are attracted to rubber seeds, into the plantations. “Because of the thick undergrowth they could have mistaken the plantation workers, who are collecting latex, as four-legged animals. “That is why, unlike their natural prey, they do not consume human corpses,” he explained. Dr Dionysius cautioned that this (creation of buffer zones) was only a short-term measure. In the long run, he said, WWF would have to address areas of conservation, the tiger-human conflict, its overall protected habitat and transborder co-operation with neighbouring countries. Dr Dionysius plans to organise a gotong-royong with the local authorities who are receptive to the idea. Since 1998, tigers had reportedly killed nine people and injured six others. Tigers are protected species in Malaysia. It is estimated that there are between 500 and 550 tigers in Malaysia now compared to some 3,000 in the 1950s. The world tiger population has also decreased over the years due to rapid urbanisation. The tigers were also hunted for their skin while other body parts were used as medicines and aphrodisiacs.<p> ________________________ Your one-stop information portal: The Star Online http://thestar.com.my http://biz.thestar.com.my http://classifieds.thestar.com.my http://cards.thestar.com.my http://search.thestar.com.my http://star-motoring.com http://star-space.com http://star-jobs.com http://star-ecentral.com http://star-techcentral.com 1995-2002 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Star Publications is prohibited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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