SUNGKAI: Being descended from a lineage of man-eaters, eight-year-old Sungkai the tiger is a highly aggressive and ferocious beast when confronting humans.
This was evident when the Malayan tiger, weighing over 100 kilograms, immediately lunged at its keeper in the National Wildlife Rescue Center (NWRC) here, despite being separated with thick iron bars.
The male tiger, born from the union of a female tiger named Tanjung and a male tiger named ScarFace, clearly inherited the ferocious traits of its father, who was considered a legendary tiger in the east coast of Malaysia.
ScarFace' had previously shocked the country 16 years ago by killing four people in Kelantan.
Nik Mohd Zamani Awang, senior wildlife assistant officer at NWRC, Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia (Perhilitan) is known as the tiger "whisperer" and considered an experienced expert. He has been working closely with tigers for over 20 years, making him well-versed in the behavior and habits of these predatory animals, including Sungkai.
Nik Mohd Zamani is considered an experienced and knowledgeable "guru" in matters related to the Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni), has been dedicated to his work since the establishment of NWRC 10 years ago.
With a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, he previously served at the Melaka Zoo and has a deep understanding of the character and behaviour of each tiger under his supervision.
"Here, I am assisted by eight dedicated staff members who specialise in the five blocks at NWRC housing this group of tigers. Three blocks are dedicated to breeding, while the remaining two blocks accommodate old, sick, and tigers facing various other issues," he said.
He added that the centre previously housed up to 22 Malayan tigers in 2013.
Now, In addition to Sungkai, there are only 13 other tigers housed at NWRC, namely Stacy, Johnny Chemon, Jay, Jeli, Tapah, Cindai, Dido, Nicky, Zanah, and Lobo.