Why Are States Not Preventing Wildlife Hit And Run Activist Asks

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An environmental activist has questioned why states have not used federal funds to protect wildlife, as another Malayan tiger was allegedly run down by a vehicle travelling in the forests of Hulu Perak.
In the 10.30pm incident on Nov 23, the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) confirmed receiving a report that the tiger, a species numbering fewer than 150 in the wild, was injured after being hit by a vehicle on a road in Lepang Nenering, Pengkalan Hulu, Perak.
Perak Perhilitan director Yusoff Shariff told Harian Metro that the department’s team found signs at the location that the animal had been injured, but they did not manage to track it down as of press time.
Speaking to Malaysiakini, Perak-based Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) field officer Meor Razak Meor Abdul Rahman said that the accident occurred in an area the federal government had identified as a wildlife corridor.
The 5,799ha area is known as Ecological Network A-PL2 (CFS1-PL4) and includes the Padang Chong, Sungai Kuak, and Lapang Ninering forest reserves, according to Plan Malaysia’s 2022 Ecological Network masterplan for the Central Forest Spine.
Besides tigers, this area is also home to elephants, panthers, leopards, sun bears and tapirs.
“This is not the first time something like this has occurred because these roads cut through these animals’ habitat,” said Meor.
SAM field officer Meor Razak Meor Abdul Rahman“The government has identified these areas and Plan Malaysia has come up with measures that states can take to minimise human-wildlife conflict and avoid accidents like this,” he added.
Among Plan Malaysia’s measures are to build viaducts and overhead bridges in locations along roads and highways for animals to safely cross.
Funds for wildlife protection
While noting that these structures are costly, Meor pointed out that there are funds available.
“States don’t want to build these structures because they are short of funds, and these things are expensive. But there are funds from the federal government to build them,” he explained.
Since Budget 2019, the federal government has set aside funds in the ecological fiscal transfer (EFT) scheme that states can draw on to conserve forests and protect wildlife.
Budget 2024 earmarked RM200 million for the EFT, and this amount has been increased to RM250 million for 2026.
“States can take advantage of these funds to build these structures for animal crossings. So the question is, why have they not?” Meor asked.
The Perak road incident involving the tiger, he said, is just the latest in a series of accidents involving wild animals that have stirred public anger.
In an especially tragic episode during Mother’s Day on May 11 this year, a female elephant was caught on camera attempting to push a lorry out of the way after the driver had run over and trapped a calf under the vehicle.
The accident occurred at about 2am as the two were walking along a Perak stretch of the Gerik-Jeli highway, well-known for sightings of wild elephants.
In March 2024, a clouded leopard was found dead on the Trong–Beruas stretch of the newly opened West Coast Expressway, believed to have been killed in a hit-and-run.
A clouded leopard found dead on the Trong–Beruas stretch of the newly opened West Coast Expressway in March 2024Despite numerous signs and warning lights posted along roads known for frequent wildlife crossings, Meor said motorists appear not to care.
He proposed that authorities install speed trap cameras along these stretches to compel motorists to drive cautiously.
“They probably will slow down because they don’t want to get a speeding ticket. Maybe that is the way to teach them to care,” he said. - Mkini

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