Where to Watch Malaysia's Last Tigers (2023)

Summary

The Malayan tiger is one of the most elusive animals in the Malaysian rainforest. A definitive new survey is being carried out by Malaysia's Department of Wildlife and National Parks to find out how many tigers still survive in the wild and where. The survey is so ambitious, that it requires many different experts and organizations to be brought together to carry it out. We follow Hazril Rafhan, Head of the Department of Wildlife's Tiger Unit, into the pristine rainforest of Taman Negara, Malaysia's oldest protected area, and the Pelindung team into the logged forest of the Main range. The Department of Wildlife explores new options in a bid to maintain tiger populations and genetic diversity. At the National Wildlife Rescue Centre, a Reproductive Biotechnology team has been established to aid tiger reproduction in the lab. Millions of images have been captured from the National Tiger Survey. The survey proves that the biodiversity in Malaysia's rainforest remains astounding, but it also reveals the devastating small number of tigers left in the rainforest. The survey results galvanize the Department of Wildlife and other forces to join in the fight to save the Malayan tiger including local indigenous peoples. There is encouraging evidence of cubs being born across the country. If tigers continue to breed, there may still be a chance to turn the tide of extinction.