Citizen Action for Tigers (CAT) Walk

     Singapore Tiger Week 2021 has officially begun! Yesterday, we heard from Dr. Kae Kawanishi, the manager of the Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (MYCAT), Mr. Hazril Rafhan bin Abdul Halim, Senior Wildlife Officer of Malaysian Department of Wildlife and National Parks, and Ms. Lara Ariffin, film director and creator of the documentary series Layar Liar. 

     The session commenced with an introduction to what inspired SWAG —the Citizen Action for Tiger (CAT) walks. Over a weekend in Malaysia, CAT walkers report tiger traps, revegetate tiger’s territory, and examine camera traps. CAT walks build a vital connection between human and nature.

     Dr. Kae highlighted the CAT walk’s significance further in her talk. She got the audience moving, asking us to imagine the history of the universe is the length of our arms spans. She showed us how humans, who first appeared 200,000 years ago, can be removed from the makeshift timeline with the single swipe of a nail file. Tigers first emerged 2 million years ago, and are ten times older than humans. However, humanity is filing down on their existence. Dr. Kae says she often feels hopeless. But in meeting the CAT walkers and the locals who stepped up during COVID-19, she has found hope. Dr. Kae  gave some final advice from her long career: “At the end of the day, what matters is how much you did for what you cared.”

     Mr. Hazril’s talk took us into the behind-the-scenes governmental work it takes to monitor tigers and revealed the results from the last census. It took him 12 years from when he joined the Malaysian government to implement the 2019 National Tiger Conservation (NTC) plan.  Funding was only half the battle. The demanding journey to install and maintain 4,000 camera traps for the actual census required traversing dense forests and water-bodies. Rangers were plagued by spider bites, leech bites, leptospirosis, and more. One even got lost in the jungle! Even after the arduous journey, poachers and wildlife often stole or damaged their camera traps. Mr. Hazril explained to us this struggle is crucial. They found less than 200 tigers left in the Malaysian peninsula. The photos found strong evidence of poaching—capturing three-legged, ensnared, and graphically injured tigers. Mr. Hazril’s NTC plan demonstrates how surveillance helps fight threats to the Malayan tiger.

     Finally, Ms. Lara Ariffin addressed tiger conservation from an educational perspective. When she asked Malaysian children what animals lived in their jungles they responded with ‘giraffe’ or ‘zebra.’ She was shocked. “How can you care for something when you don’t even know about it?” she asked. Her answer to the question was an educational film series about Malaysian wildlife titled Layar Liar. Written in Bahasa and narrated by a 15-year old Malaysian, the film looks to the future of Malaysian conservation. Focused on a different animal each episode, Layar Liar delivers engaging information paired with beautiful visuals. Its tagline encapsulates it best: “To know is to love, to love is to protect.” 

     We hope you fell in love with the Malayan tiger through yesterday's session! Tune in throughout the upcoming week for more.