KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (MYCAT) has presented a cash donation of RM46,800 to the Save the Malayan Tiger trust fund.
Its general manager Dr Kae Kawanishi said the donation, collected over the years from anonymous donors and volunteers, would be used for better protection of tigers in Taman Negara.
“I am from Japan, and we have this proverb, ‘Even dust can accumulate to be a mountain’.
“To some, RM46,800 is not a lot of money, but for us it exemplifies a proud example made by numerous individuals over the years,” she said in a statement in conjunction with Global Tiger Day, today.
Kawanishi also called upon the public to participate in tiger conservation efforts, adding that no one should be a bystander in the imminent extinction of the Malayan Tiger.
“In the nine years since the inception of the Citizen Action for Tigers (CAT) Walk, 1,920 people from 36 countries have joined, patrolling 4,300km of forests, and disarming 168 snares.
“These valiant volunteers paid heed to the call for action and did what was needed to help protect endangered wildlife.
“I strongly believe that our Tigers require the concrete support of Malaysians everywhere to pick up the fight and walk the walk.”
Kawanishi, who is also a tiger biologist, said CAT was the only program of its kind in the world that facilitates concerned members of the public to directly safeguard tigers against poaching.
She said the need for such an inclusive initiative was born out of pure necessity, as the long wait for government intervention and allocation of resources had to be factored into the very survival of Malaysia’s most iconic species.
Kawanishi said the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) had initiated an operation and mobilised 200 wildlife rangers without any special allocation.
She added that while the government was taking the necessary steps, Perhilitan’s 200 rangers needed public support urgently.
She urged the public to donate to the trust fund, to support tiger conservation efforts.
“Military protection may not come in time to save our Tigers.
“Please make your contribution to the trust fund today (www.harimau.my). Without action, nothing will change.”