The ninth tiger...
The tigers of Malaysia were only considered a separate
and distinct sub-species in 2004, making the Malayan Tiger the ninth
sub-species of tiger.
Numbering around 3,000 fifty years ago, there are
fewer than 500 wild tigers in the country today. Tiger numbers will
decline so long as the loss of habitat and poaching are not stemmed
immediately.
Like the fate of tigers around the world, the future of the Malayan Tiger is just as bleak.
The tiger is scientifically known as Panthera tigris. It is the world's
largest cat, measuring as long as 4 meters and weighing as more than 300
kg.
The tiger's body is massive, yet exquisitely designed and elegant.
Despite a large, muscular body, the tiger is quite capable of stalking
stealthily in dense Asian jungles and snow-white Siberia. It is a
creature of beauty and grace and often a symbol of power and mystery.
