Malaysians walk 235km to call for the protection of the endangered Malayan tiger
Ms. Sharifah Sofia Syed Hussein (green shirt, sitting) and Ms. Rafizah Mat Zin (pink shirt, sitting) with a group of supporters after arriving at the Kuala Lumpur court complex after 235km from Taman Negara, Pahang – Photo: CNA
According to the newspaper South China Morning Post (SCMP), the purpose of the trip was to warn about illegal poaching and deforestation that threaten the natural habitat of the Malayan tiger population in areas such as Taman Negara, Belum forest population- Temengor (Perak State) and Sungai Yu Forest Reserve (Pehang State).
At the same time, her team will also file a lawsuit with the Government of Malaysia and the Federal Court to protect the animal that is the symbol of this country.
She explained the lawsuit is a legal claim to protect the Malayan tigers from rampant deforestation in Malaysia in recent years.
“If we can do that, we can help prevent deforestation from happening in the habitats of Malayan tigers,” she said.
Ms. Sharifah and her friend started their trip on May 6, with the starting point at the Merapoh gate of Taman Negara National Park on the Kelantan-Pahang state border, because the park is symbolic for the tiger population in Malaysia. .
“Taman Negara is home to most of our tiger herd, the rest is the Belum-Temengor forest in Perak state” – SCMP quoted Ms. Sharifah as adding.
Ms. Sharifah and Ms. Rafizah started the 10km walk from Raub to Bentong – Photo: CNA
From Taman Negara, she and her friend Rafizah continued their journey to the Sungai Yu Forest Reserve, where Taman Negara National Park intersects with the Titiwangsa Mountains in the heart of peninsular Malaysia.
“This is an important stop on our journey as it is one of the few tiger reserves left in the country,” said Ms Sharifah.
Previously, the Malaysian Government approved the Sungai Yu area to become a permanent forest reserve to protect wildlife species, including the Malayan tiger in 2019.
“We need the space to allow the Malayan tiger to really exist. If we don’t have that, there’s no point in trying to breed and preserve them,” she said.
According to her, a Malayan tiger needs an average of 60km2 up to 80km2 natural area to live in.
On the fourth day, Ms. Sharifah had to see the doctor because of muscle pain in her leg from the prolonged hot weather. However, her trip and her friend were suddenly supported by “God” when the drizzle occurred shortly after.
Two women walking along Jalan Tras Road in Bentong, Pahang State – Photo: CNA
On the morning of May 14, after more than a week, she and her friend Rafizah arrived safely at the court complex in Kuala Lumpur.
At the destination, she is happy to share unforgettable memories with supporters of the environmental NGO Hak Asasi Hidupan Liar Malaysia.
According to SCMPher and her friends’ next goal is to reach out to the community about environmental education in the country while waiting for the legal file to be transferred to the Malaysian court system.
The Malayan tiger has 6 subspecies including the Siberian tiger, the Amur tiger, the Bengal tiger, the Sumatran tiger, the Chinese male tiger and the Indochinese tiger. This animal is classified as critically endangered in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to its extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
The current Malaysian Government’s tiger protection policy focuses mainly on in situ conservation, including anti-poaching patrols, research, wildlife monitoring, advocacy and education.
In March 2022, Malaysian Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Takiyuddin Hassan told the Malaysian Parliament that there are less than 150 Malayan tigers left in the wild in this country.
at Blogtuan.info – Source: tuoitre.vn – Read the original article here
