LETTER: THE proposal by the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) to breed the critically endangered Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni) at the National Tiger Conservation Centre for release and "rewilding" raises many reasons for concern.
The reason for the decline in the population of Malayan tigers is not that the tigers are not mating or breeding enough. Tigers, like most members of the cat family, are prolific breeders, which explains why the number of tigers in captivity continue to rise worldwide, even as wild tiger populations continue to be decimated.
The Malayan tiger is critically endangered because of habitat destruction, diminishing prey species, poaching and the wildlife trade. University of Exeter researchers, in a 2008 study, found that most captive-born predators do not survive following release. The chances of surviving freedom is only 33 per cent due to a lack of hunting skills and a lack of fear of humans, and susceptibility to viruses and diseases.
Conservation organisation Born Free Foundation also points out that wild tigers born in human-controlled environments, such as wildlife reserves and zoos, are unlikely to be successfully released and will often spend the rest of their lives in captivity. Part of the reason is: "There are not enough tigers in breeding programmes to sustain genetic diversity over a long period of time."
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums tries to diversify the captive gene pools by exchanging breeding animals between zoos, but genetic drift and genetic bottlenecks can still occur. Genetic weaknesses in breeding stocks can result in deadly diseases, as seen in India's effort to breed the Asiatic lion. Captive breeding programmes should not take too many animals out of the wild either, as it will remove their genes from circulation.
It takes over a year for tiger cubs to learn from their mothers how to stalk, catch and kill their prey. According to conservation charity Flora and Fauna International, captive tigers lack the vital exposure from wild and experienced mothers to be predators.
Efforts around the globe to reintroduce captive-bred tigers into the wild have not had much success. After more than 30 years of expert conservation efforts and successfully breeding more than 1,000 Siberian tigers in captivity, China has still not been able to release even one into the wild. Kazakhstan tried to reintroduce Amur or Siberian tigers into its Balkhash region, but the project has not borne any results yet.
India successfully released Bengal tigers in the Panna and Sariska Tiger Reserves as part of its Tiger Reintroduction Project. The released tigers were not breeding successfully, presumably due to stress caused by human activity near the tiger reserves.
The World Wide Fund for Nature's Tigers Alive Initiative has pointed out that "reintroducing tigers is the easier part, protecting the site and prey base is even more complex". There is not much use in creating a thriving captive population of tigers if we continue to clear primary rainforests for development and agricultural projects.
To maintain a healthy wild tiger population, we need healthy ecosystems. In addition, professionals in the field of tiger conservation agree that to stop the extinction of wild tigers, there must be comprehensive poaching prevention strategies. This is why the police's recent announcement of a stricter crackdown on the wildlife trade and firearm possession is such welcome news. There must be stricter law enforcement and harsher penalties for wildlife crimes.
The resources allocated for this ambitious project to breed the Malayan tiger in captivity should instead be redirected to conserving and protecting wild habitats and the remaining wild tigers, and to the prevention of poaching and wildlife trafficking.
WONG EE LYNN
Petaling Jaya, Selangor
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times