Description
This discussing is about
the Malayan tigers. Currently there are believed to around 500 of
these Tigers who Latin name is Panthera Tigris Jacksoni. The Malayan
tigers were recently renamed about seven years ago from Panthera
Tigris Corbetti to Panthera Tigris Jacksoni after DNA proved that
they were a different subspecies of Tigers.
The Malayan tigers appears
to be smaller than the Indian tigers. Each Tiger has a unique set of
stripe patterns. These pattern can be used like fingerprints to
identify a specific Tiger. The Malayan Tigers are considered to be
solitary creatures. Following are their characteristic.
Malayan
Tigers
- Length – 6.5ft – 7.8ft
- Weight – 176lbs - 330lbs
- Top Speed – 60mph
- Life Span – 18 – 25 years
- Color – Orange, Black, & White
Malayan
Tiger Conservation at the Palm Beach Zoo
Population
Numbers
It
was
believed that 500 Malayan Tigers were in existance, but new
estimates have place the figures between 250 – 340, reducing the
original number to almost half. In 2008 Malaysia had committed to
bringing the total number of Malayan Tigers to 1,000 by the year
2020.
Gestation
period is around 100 days and the female litter size is about 3-4
cubs. They are born blind and depends upon their mother for the
first 2 ½ years of their life.
Habitat
and Range
The
Malayan Tiger are unique to the Malayan Peninsula in Thailand and
Malaysia. They prefer tropical and subtropical moist broad leaf
forests.The Malayan tigers are found only in four states, which are
- Pahang
- Perak
- Kelantan
- Terengganu
Role
in Ecosystem
As a keystone species, the
tiger plays a specific role in the health of the ecosystem it lives
in. The tiger controls the populations of its prey species. Most of
the tiger prey species are herbivores (including deer and monkeys)
which in turn control the vegetation within the ecosystem. If the
tiger population is reduced to below a natural level, the overall
ecology is thrown out of balance. Thus all life within the ecosystem
is affected. This can result in disease and empty forest syndrome
where a faster than natural local extinction rate can occur among
species.
Cause
of Decline
The
major cause to the Malaysian tiger decline have been humans.
Following are some of the cause of the decline.
- illegal trade in tiger skins, bones, meat and tonics
- Rainforest have been converted for agricultural use
- Heavy logging have destroyed habitat
- Fragmentation has resulted in difficulties in breeding and lack of genetic diversity
When
deprived of wild game, tigers will attack domestic stock, leading to
farmers hunting them in turn. This creates huge
conflict between local communities and the tigers. Poachers are the
biggest reason for the decline. The Chinese and Vietnamese rely
heavily on tigers for their medicines.
Important
– Why Tigers Matter
According
to the Global Tiger Initiative, an alliance of governments,
international agencies, civil society and the private sectors,
“Tigers are a symbol of all that is splendid,
mystical and powerful about nature. The loss of tigers would
inevitably mean the loss of cultural and spiritual values that
connect humans to the wild world. There is a wealth of legend and
lore connected with the tiger in Asian cultures”.
Also, Eco-tourism has
become a major by-product of tiger habitat conservation. In many
areas, tourism has replaced traditional income methods and for many,
the sole form of making a living. Accommodation, guiding and all the
normal services related to tourism have developed rarely visited
areas into tourist destinations. While these infra-structure changes
have sometimes added extra pressure on the environment, they have
also provided jobs and livelihood. The balance and cooperation
between those governing tiger habitat areas and the Eco-tourism
industry is vital.
Conservation
Efforts
The
Malaysian
government hopes to restore the tiger population to 1,000 animals
in the wild by 2020. A program called MYCAT, an
acronym for Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers, is calling
for more Eco-tourism in the region to help the tigers. They say that
more visitors engaging in low-impact hikes and photography
expeditions will deter poachers with their presence. MYCAT is an
alliance between the Malaysian Nature Society, WWF-Malaysia and a
number of other conservation groups.
Several NGOs, such as
World Wildlife Fund and the Wildlife Conservation Society, are
working both with local governments and populations to protect the
existing Malayan tigers. Anti-poaching programs have been instituted,
including regular patrols of tiger habitat and removal of snares.
We
as individuals can help by planning a conservation vacation to the area
which would contribute to the presence of people in the area and bring
much needed revenue
Works
Cited
"P
tigris jacksoni2". Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia
Commons -
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:P_tigris_jacksoni2.png#/media/File:P_tigris_jacksoni2.png
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