FWD: Shoot- to-kill order on tigers in Kelantan

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This article is from thestar.com.my

URL:

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2002/8/15/nation/ktbtiger & sec=nation

 

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Thursday, August 15, 2002

Shoot- to-kill order on tigers in Kelantan

By MENG YEW CHOONG

 

KOTA BARU: Tigers will be shot on sight in the Jeli and Tanah Merah districts in

Kelantan.

 

Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat said the decision was made after an

inter-agency meeting in Jeli last week, attended by various parties, including

the district officers and Kelantan Barisan Nasional chief Datuk Mustapa Mohamed.

 

On whether alternative methods like trapping and transferring the tigers

elsewhere had been considered, Nik Aziz said: & #147;Malaysia already has far too

many tigers & #148;.

 

& #147;The point is, tigers must not be in Jeli anymore. They are better off

dead. I agree that they should be shot for there is no use in keeping them

alive.

 

& #147;They cost too much money while zoo collection fees are not enough to pay

for their maintenance. The country & #146;s money could be put to better use like

providing education and other social amenities, & #146; & #146; he added.

 

Nik Aziz said the authorities were enlisting the help of soldiers from army

camps in Jeli to shoot the tigers.

 

& #147;In this regard, I want to thank Datuk Mustapa, who is also concerned with

the plight of the Jeli folk, for liasing with the Defence Ministry to procure

the services of the army, & #146; & #146; he told reporters after chairing a state

exco meeting yesterday.

 

According to Nik Aziz, a total of RM5,000 had been approved by the state for a

two-month mission in the jungle, which would include Department of Wildlife and

National Parks (Perhilitan) officers.

 

& #147;Rubber tappers and fruit collectors are afraid to enter their estates

now. The welfare of tigers cannot be above that of humans. Jeli is no longer a

virgin jungle with no humans; it is quite well populated, & #146; & #146; he added.

 

On Aug 3, a man here narrowly escaped death after he was mauled by a tiger

while tapping rubber near Kampung Sungai Satan in Jeli with his wife.

 

The attack on Abdullah Mamat was the fourth such incident in Kelantan this

year. The victims of the first three attacks, all rubber tappers, died.

 

Meanwhile, the World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia (WWF) has condemned the

announcement.

 

& #147;We are shocked and appalled by this news. The proposed slaughter is

cruel, inappropriate, unnecessary and illegal under federal laws, & #148; said its

executive director Datuk Dr Mikaail Kavanagh Abdullah.

 

He said tigers were a totally protected species.

 

He added that WWF was willing to assist the state government and Perhilitan to

find solutions.

 

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