Illicit wildlife products have been pouring into and out of Malaysia: elephant tusks, pangolin scales, deer antlers, tiger claws, sun bear teeth and claws. We know because in the past few weeks alone Malaysian authorities have managed to seize tons of such items at ports and airports from Sabah to…
A simple rule of wildlife conservation is this: if you want to protect endangered animals, you need to impose severe penalties on poachers and traffickers so they will think twice before committing crimes. That is why it’s such welcome news that legislators in Sabah have decided to increase penalties for…
It was too late for the tiger, but Malaysian authorities pounced just in time to arrest its killers, three poachers, in the Kemaman district of Terengganu in late January. The three Malaysian men, all in their 50s, had killed the Malayan tiger, seeking to sell its body parts for RM10,000….
Known for its breathtaking landscape, strong cultural history and diverse flora and fauna, Malaysia is a uniquely appreciable piece of the world. Sadly, Malaysia also has a history of deforestation, exploitation and species extinction. Particularly unfortunate has been Malaysia’s track record for illegal poaching and wildlife trading. But as much…
According to a recent article in Free Malaysia Today, there is not one zoo in Malaysia that fully complies with the country’s Wildlife Conservation Act. Today, every Malaysian zoo features iron bars, cement enclosures, dirty cages and profoundly unhappy animals. A large number of personal accounts describe unfortunate family experiences…