Meet The Malayan Tiger

STATUS: Critically Endangered
POPULATION: ~340

The Malayan tiger is one of the smallest tigers in the world and was only distinguished as a separate subspecies in 2004. For many years they were believed to be Indonesian tigers but after the discovery of their distinctiveness, they acquired the Latin name (Panthera tigris jacksoni) after Peter Jackson, a leading tiger conservationist. Not surprisingly this species lives mainly in the Malay peninsula and can also be found in the southern tip of Thailand.

These beautiful creatures — even being the smallest of their kind — reach 2–2.5 meters in length at maturity. Malayan tigers form pairs only for mating purposes, after which both the male and female go their separate ways once the female is impregnated. Female Malayan tigers can have 1–5 cubs from a single pregnancy and the little ones live with their mother until they are a year to a year and a half old. Female cubs often remain with their mom a bit longer.

Tiger stripes are like human fingerprints. No tiger has the same stripe pattern, making them not just super beautiful, but super unique.

Photo by Tu7uh via Wikimedia Commons

What’s the danger?

The Malayan tiger is yet another critically endangered species listed on the IUCN Red List. With the species in rapid decline, we can look back just a little more than half a century ago when their population was an estimated 3000. Now, only 250–340 are approximated to be left in the world today. There are several threats harming the Malayan tiger and its habitat.

ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

Currently there are only six remaining subspecies of tigers in all, the Malayan tiger being one of them. Generally speaking, the number of all tigers have dropped a shocking 97% over the past 100 years with three subspecies of tiger going extinct and another that hasn’t been spotted in 25 years. A primary contributing factor to the decrease of the Malayan tiger population specifically is the increase in road and lodging developments.

In addition, many forest lands are being converted into agricultural and commercial estates which results in loss of habitat for these tigers. Due to new agricultural settlements tigers now frequently encounter livestock which results in human-tiger conflicts, as humans often retaliate the livestock damage by killing tigers. Tigers whose lives are lost in this way often end up on the black market, furthering the illegal demand for their trade.

Habitat loss doesn’t just lessen the area where Malayan tigers currently live but also fragments it unnaturally with the continual development of new commercial and agricultural areas. This unfortunately makes mating more difficult for the tigers and contributes to a lack of genetic diversity, further amplifying the negative tendencies of the tiger population.

HUMAN RELATIONS

Last year, China lifted a ban that protected farmed tiger bones and rhino horns from being a part of any legal trade. With this ban lifted, it opened up the opportunity for legalized trade that could set back conservation efforts by 25 years while subsequently having unforeseen impact on both the tiger and rhino species. The Chinese government was seeking to allow hospitals and medical facilities use the bones and horns for medicinal purposes. Luckily, the Chinese government postponed the implementation of this new program which signals a positive response to international reactions for now.

It’s hard to imagine just how few 340 is. There are fewer Malayan tigers on the planet than voting members of the United States Congress.

Photo by Greg Hume via Wikimedia Commons

How can we help?

In order to save the Malayan tiger, we must respond to these multiple challenges.

WWF is working diligently to fight against several problematic areas, including their work with farmers to help secure cattle sheds and their community outreach initiative which helps educate locals about the importance of these tigers and how to avoid conflicts. WWF also works with the Malaysian government in land-planning processes to ensure that even alongside construction, tigers will have wildlife corridors that maintain connectivity between lands.

And because Malayan tigers share their habitat with others in need of protection, like Asian elephants and leopards, we’re contributing to other species’ protection as well. But we must band together.

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