You Will Be Hunted: Johor Sultan Warns Local, Foreign, And The Orang Asli Hunters
Recently, two white tigers were spotted by a riverbank in Johor.
By Sadho Ram — 28 Oct 2019, 12:33 PM
The Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, has issued a stern warning to hunters and poachers to refrain from illegal activities
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.
The Sultan's warning comes after four tigers, two of which were white, were spotted in the jungles of Sungai Sayong, Kota Tinggi
He made this announcement in a statement uploaded by the Royal Press Office (RPO) through his official Facebook handle, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.
In the statement, the Johor Sultan expressed his concern, saying the state was rich in flora and fauna which must always be preserved and taken care of.
"I want the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN) and other relevant enforcement agencies to intensify operations and patrols to combat illegal wildlife hunting," he said to the RPO at Istana Pasir Pelangi, Johor Bahru on Friday, 25 October.
The picture on the Johor Sultan's Facebook page showing what appeared to be two white tigers by a riverbank.
Image via Official Sultan Ibrahim/FacebookAccording to Malay Mail, poaching has contributed to the drastic fall in the number of Malayan tigers in Peninsular Malaysia
In the 1950s, there were over 3,000 Malayan tigers in the wild.
Now, with the iconic species listed as "critically endangered" since June 2015, there are less than 200 of them in the wild.
In fact, the species could go extinct by 2022.
Earlier this year, conservationist Dr Mark Rayan Darmaraj warned that we will lose our tigers "in two or three years" and that he is being optimistic with that number.
"If we leave things as they are, the Malayan tiger could be driven into extinction even faster. By taking care of tigers, the apex predator, we are also protecting the ecosystem.
"The abundance of tigers is a sign of a healthy ecosystem," Dr Darmaraj, who is fondly referred to as 'guardian of Malayan Tigers' said.
