11/30/09

Al Jazeera English - CENTRAL/S. ASIA - Malaysia battles tiger extinction

Al Jazeera English - CENTRAL/S. ASIA -

Malaysia battles tiger extinction

Conservationists are warning tigers will become extinct in the wild within the next 20 years unless a major effort is made to protect them.

At the beginning of the last century, there were an estimated 100,000 tigers. Today their population is believed to be around 3,000.

But poachers and illegal traders are better at breaking laws meant to protect the big cats than policy makers and wildlife experts are at upholding them.

Al Jazeera's Laura Kyle travelled to Malaysia to find out why poaching is rife and why efforts to stop it are failing.

11/21/09

11/17/09

NST Online Driver admits to 5 wildlife offences

NST Online Driver admits to 5 wildlife offences for killing of at least 10 sun bears and other Malaysian wildlife

17 November 2009

KUANTAN: A lorry driver was charged in the magistrate's court yesterday with possessing clouded monitor lizards, which are a protected species, and body parts of wild owls and the sun bear.

M. Ravindran, 31, from Indera Mahkota, near here, was read five charges under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 for possessing:

- 2,330 live clouded monitor lizards;
- 47 limbs of sun bears (Helarctos malayanus);
- 246 carcasses of skinned Barn Owls (Tyto alba);
- 72 carcasses of Barred eagle owls (Bubo sumatranus); and

- a skinned Brown Wood Owl (Strix leplogranunica).

The father of three was also charged with endangering the clouded monitor lizards by confining them in cages.

He pleaded guilty to committing the offences at Lot 467, Jalan Bukit Ubi on Jan 11.

Magistrate Iriane Isabelo fixed Dec 7 for sentencing. Ravindran was represented by Syed Azimal Amir Syed Abu Bakar. Mohd Hasdi Husin prosecuted for the Wildlife and National Parks Department.

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/14wld/Article/index_html