Are you hunting for tigers? The Johor Sultan will hunt you down.
Yesterday (26 October), Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar had announced on an official Facebook statement that he had issued an ultimatum on Malaysia’s wildlife preservation.
He wants the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN) and other relevant enforcement agencies to “intensify operations and patrols to combat illegal wildlife hunting”. His Majesty mentioned that the Johor forests are rich in beautiful flora and fauna, and they must always be preserved and taken care of.
With the recent discovery of four tigers in the jungles of Sungai Sayong, Kota Tinggi, it heightens the urgency to improve the preservation efforts. Especially because among the four tigers that were found, two of them were white tigers!
Source: Facebook
This photo was uploaded onto the same Facebook post, showing the four tigers that hung around the jungle.
“This is my warning to all hunters, local or foreign, as well as to the Orang Asli — if they illegally hunt tigers or any other form of wildlife, then they, in turn, will be hunted.”
According to The Star, a total of 298 wire snares and 23 illegal camps were found by PERHILITAN in the Johor jungles from January to July this year. These snares and camps were set up by poachers to trap animals, especially tigers. The discovery was made during Ops Belang — a programme carried out by the government in collaboration with the Johor Forestry Department and Johor National Parks Corporation to protect tigers and their habitat.
Source: WWF
Salman Saaban, the director of PERHILITAN, mentioned that police forces would be included in the enforcement operation in the future. And this will improve the wildlife protection in Malaysia as PERHILITAN is only allowed to take actions against poachers who are in possession of wildlife or animal parts.
We’re happy to hear that our country is working towards Malaysia’s wildlife preservation, and hopefully, effective actions will be taken against hunters and poachers.
Also read: Five Elephants Trapped in Mud-Filled Gold Mine Rescued in 6-Hour Mission by Pahang PERHILITAN
