Bornean Sun Bear Conservation

Hope at last for Borneo’s Sun Bears

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I hate poachers! I hate them!

Category: poaching | Date: Nov 23 2008 | By: Siew Te Wong

It makes me angry, very angry indeed to read news like this: http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/Frontpage/2409167/Article/index_html

I hate poachers! I hate them! I hate this kind of people who kill wildlife for profits.

Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah do not have a long culture of hunting by the local native people. In addition, the relative political and economy stability in Malaysia, relatively compare to other Southeast Asian countries except Singapore, make the local people here do not need to depend on wildlife as food. This is why I always consider Malaysia as the last strong hold of SE Asian wildlife.

It seems like we are loosing the war to protect our precious wildlife. Loosing the war to handful of poachers? How can these possibles?

Yes, it is possible if we continue have a weak wildlife laws to protect our wildlife. How weak is weak? Read the news on November 23rd:

 “In one case in Terengganu, a poacher caught with 52 snares was fined RM1,000 (USD285) by the courts.”

“The poacher in Terengganu received a six-month jail sentence, while another in Perak was fined RM900 (USD257) by the court.”

“Five people in Johor were compounded RM260 (USD75) each for setting snares.”

Any one see the problem here? I do.

We need your help to sign a petition that urge the government of Malaysia to strengthen the wildlife law to protect the wildlife in this country. Please read  Please read: http://sunbears.wildlifedirect.org/2008/10/25/we-need-your-help-to-protect-wildlife-in-malaysia/.

2 Responses to “I hate poachers! I hate them!”

bushmeateastafrica, on 24 Nov 2008

Hi,

Things is even worse here in Africa! Our laws are very weak and lenient of wildlife crimes. A poacher caught with snares would hardly gets any conviction, leave alone you fine of 285$. That would be deterrent enough here! But keep up the fight.
Mwenja

Siew Te Wong, on 25 Nov 2008

Hi Mwenja,
Sorry to learn that the situation in Africa is worst. I am aware of the bush meat crisis in Africa. However, the situation in SE Asia is worrisome due to the following reasons:
1) The productivity in SE Asian forest, especially in Peninsula Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo, is generally low and thus with low carrying capacity and low animal densities. The ecosystem here is very fragile.
2) SE Asian wildlife already faced tremendous threats from habitat loss. Many wildlife habitat in this region are restricted at protected island habitat such as national parks, conservation areas, wildlife sanctuaries, etc. Most of these wildlife habitat are isolated, relatively small, and wildlife are very susceptible of local extinction from poaching.
3) Traditionally, many places in SE Asia do not have long hunting history. The poaching activities that we see recently are not subsistence but commercial hunting to supplies foreign market especially China and the local Chinese. We do not know where the wildlife population here can withstand this kind of killing.

Yes, we need to keep fighting no matter what. We cannot lose this battle. Period.
~Wong

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