Malayan Tiger | Species

Tiger
Malayan Tiger

Tiger
Malayan Tiger

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Overview
Why They Matter
Threats
What WWF is Doing
How You Can Help
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Overview

Status
Endangered
Population
around 500
Scientific Name
Panthera tigris jacksoni
Weight
220 – 264 pounds
Habitats
Tropical moist broadleaf forests

Malayan tigers number around 500 and were classified as the Indochinese tiger until DNA testing in 2004 showed it to be a separate subspecies. Its Latin name—Panthera tigris jacksoni— honors Peter Jackson, the famous tiger conservationist. Malayan tigers are found only on the Malay Peninsula and in the southern tip of Thailand.

Habitats
Forests, Grasslands, Wetlands

Browse Photos & Videos

Why They Matter

Save Tigers and Save so Much More

Protecting tiger habitats in Malaysia safeguards other species like Asian elephants and mainland clouded leopards too.

Threats

Population around 500
Extinction Risk Endangered
1. EX
  Extinct
  
  No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died
2. EW
  Extinct in the Wild
  
  Known only to survive in cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalised population
3. CR
  Critically Endangered
  
  Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the Wild
4. EN
  Endangered
  
  Facing a high risk of extinction in the Wild
5. VU
  Vulnerable
  
  Facing a high risk of extinction in the Wild
6. NT
  Near Threatened
  
  Likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future
7. LC
  Least Concern
  
  Does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Near Threatened

Illegal Wildlife Trade

Poachers have infiltrated the forests of Malaysia and plundered its wildlife, including tigers. Malaysian wildlife is in high demand in Asian markets for use as folk medicine and as a sign of wealth.

Habitat Loss

Logging operations and the development of roads pose a big threat to Malayan tiger habitats. Conversion of forests to agriculture or commercial plantations results in frequent encounters between tigers and livestock. The cost for farmers can be high—livestock loss due to tigers is estimated to have cost more than $400,000 from 1993-2003 in Terengganu, one of the poorest areas in Peninsular Malaysia. In retaliation, tigers are often killed by authorities or angry villagers. Tigers killed as “conflict” animals often end up on the black market, creating a link between human-tiger conflict and poaching.

What WWF Is Doing

Assessing tiger habitat in forests adjacent to palm oil plantations in Malaysia.

Fighting Wildlife Crime

The documentary On Borrowed Time highlights the poaching crisis in the Banjaran Titiwangsa tiger landscape and was produced by WWFand TRAFFIC, the global wildlife trade monitoring network. Our work has uncovered a trail of wildlife crime and the documentary is a call to action against poaching and forest encroachment. The Belum-Temengor Forest Complex is one of the last refuges for amazing, yet highly threatened wildlife, such as the Malayan tiger, Asian elephant and Sunda pangolin.

Mitigating Human-Wildlife Conflict

WWF has led an initiative to reduce human-wildlife conflict through better livestock management. By helping farmers build more secure cattle sheds, livestock predation by tigers has been significantly reduced. WWF also managed to reverse a 2002 decision by a Malaysian state government to eliminate all tigers.

Land-Use Planning and Management

WWF helps state governments make tiger-friendly planning decisions. In addition, we work on management of High Conservation Value Forests in order to ensure protection of tiger habitats. WWF helps the government of Malaysia site and develop wildlife corridors to maintain connectivity between forest areas with the construction of roads.

Tiger Research

WWF has helped set up camera traps to monitor tiger populations and other wildlife. These surveys help us measure Malayan tiger populations and understand their habits.

Community Outreach

WWF knows that for tigers to survive, local communities must understand the importance of tiger conservation. Our education efforts include comic books describing how to avoid human-tiger conflict and a website developed for children.

Experts

Barney Long Manager, Asian Species Conservation Program

How You Can Help

Take Action

Tell your members of Congress and President Obama to reject budget proposals that would slash funding for endangered species and tropical forests, clean air and water, and efforts to confront climate change.