Kelantan deputy MB comes to forestry director’s defence
Nik Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah wonders why other wild animals, such as elephants and bears, did not encroach into Orang Asli villages if logging was to blame. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: Kelantan deputy menteri besar Nik Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah has defended the state’s forestry department director, who said that logging is beneficial for tigers.
Amar also questioned why other wild animals – such as elephants and bears – did not encroach into Orang Asli villages the same way tigers did, if indeed logging was to blame.
It was previously reported that Orang Asli villagers in Gua Musang had complained that tigers were encroaching into their area as a result of habitat loss due to logging.
Kelantan’s forestry department director Abdul Khalim Abu Samah responded yesterday, saying that logging was “good for the population of tigers” and cited a WWF-Malaysia study that it would lead to an emergence of new plants, which would then attract animals which tigers could prey on.
“What he (Khalim) said is correct. There is a study by WWF,” Amar was quoted as saying in an interview on Astro Awani.
“Based on that… selected logging can help forest management. So, people should not blame logging for causing tigers to come out (of their forest habitat).”
In response to Khalim’s statement, the co-author of the WWF-Malaysia study, Mark Rayan Darmaraj, clarified that the study “alluded” that vegetation regeneration after selective logging could provide more browse material for tiger prey and thereby potentially contribute to a higher tiger density.
“More importantly, however, the paper clearly states that this hypothesis remains to be investigated further, and it is critical to recognise the caveats in interpreting this – which is not the case here,” he said in a statement.
Stating that the findings of his paper had been “misinterpreted and erroneously reported”, Darmaraj, who is currently country director of the Wildlife Conservation Society Malaysia Programme, said the long-term effects of selective logging on wildlife were still not clearly understood.
On Jan 7, an Orang Asli was mauled to death by a tiger near Pos Bihai, Gua Musang, with the community claiming that deforestation in Gua Musang had driven the animals closer to human settlement.
Orang Asli from Gua Musang have submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister’s Office over the safety of residents in Pos Bihai from animal attacks, with the group warning of more serious incidents if the government did not immediately stop logging activities that had allegedly disrupted the wildlife ecosystem.
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MM:
After Kelantan’s claim, WWF-Malaysia says its study only showed selective logging helping tigers
PETALING JAYA: Kelantan deputy menteri besar Nik Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah has defended the state’s forestry department director, who said that logging is beneficial for tigers.
Amar also questioned why other wild animals – such as elephants and bears – did not encroach into Orang Asli villages the same way tigers did, if indeed logging was to blame.
It was previously reported that Orang Asli villagers in Gua Musang had complained that tigers were encroaching into their area as a result of habitat loss due to logging.
Kelantan’s forestry department director Abdul Khalim Abu Samah responded yesterday, saying that logging was “good for the population of tigers” and cited a WWF-Malaysia study that it would lead to an emergence of new plants, which would then attract animals which tigers could prey on.
“What he (Khalim) said is correct. There is a study by WWF,” Amar was quoted as saying in an interview on Astro Awani.
“Based on that… selected logging can help forest management. So, people should not blame logging for causing tigers to come out (of their forest habitat).”
In response to Khalim’s statement, the co-author of the WWF-Malaysia study, Mark Rayan Darmaraj, clarified that the study “alluded” that vegetation regeneration after selective logging could provide more browse material for tiger prey and thereby potentially contribute to a higher tiger density.
“More importantly, however, the paper clearly states that this hypothesis remains to be investigated further, and it is critical to recognise the caveats in interpreting this – which is not the case here,” he said in a statement.
Stating that the findings of his paper had been “misinterpreted and erroneously reported”, Darmaraj, who is currently country director of the Wildlife Conservation Society Malaysia Programme, said the long-term effects of selective logging on wildlife were still not clearly understood.
On Jan 7, an Orang Asli was mauled to death by a tiger near Pos Bihai, Gua Musang, with the community claiming that deforestation in Gua Musang had driven the animals closer to human settlement.
Orang Asli from Gua Musang have submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister’s Office over the safety of residents in Pos Bihai from animal attacks, with the group warning of more serious incidents if the government did not immediately stop logging activities that had allegedly disrupted the wildlife ecosystem.
***
MM:
After Kelantan’s claim, WWF-Malaysia says its study only showed selective logging helping tigers
The Kelantan government received flak after report of tigers roaming around near Orang Asli villages in Gua Musang with one confirmed death due to a tiger attack on January 7. — Picture from Twitter/Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 — WWF-Malaysia clarified today that its 2009 study on tigers found the animals benefited only in a selectively logged part of a forest that also adhered to sustainable management, and not indiscriminate logging.
Tiger Conservation Programme communication manager Carol Debra said the study titled “The importance of selectively logged forests for tiger Panthera tigris conservation: a population density estimate in Peninsular Malaysia by D. Mark Rayan and Shariff Wan Mohamad” in 2009 was done to obtain information on density of tigers specifically in selectively logged forests.
“It is important to note that the study refers to selective logging, not indiscriminate logging.
“Selective logging is a forestry practice that only cuts a select number of trees annually in a forest compartment instead of the whole forest at once, in line with Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) practices,” she said in a letter to Malay Mail.
Rayan and Shariff who are both wildlife experts set up camp at the Gunung Basor Forest Reserve in Kelantan as part of a wide-ranging observation study on Malayan tigers.
Their study covered an area of 120km, aided by infrared camera traps strategically positioned and running round the clock for nine months.
On January 24, Kelantan Forestry Department director Abdul Khalim Abu Samah said areas that are deforested are actually good for tigers.
He claimed that after an area is deforested, new vegetation will grow that will encourage the presence of new animal species that serve as food to tigers.
The Kelantan government had received flak after report of tigers roaming around near Orang Asli villages in Gua Musang with one confirmed death due to a tiger attack on January 7.
On January 12, Kelantan Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah reportedly urged the public not to make baseless claims that illegal logging had displaced the tigers from their habitat.
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 — WWF-Malaysia clarified today that its 2009 study on tigers found the animals benefited only in a selectively logged part of a forest that also adhered to sustainable management, and not indiscriminate logging.
Tiger Conservation Programme communication manager Carol Debra said the study titled “The importance of selectively logged forests for tiger Panthera tigris conservation: a population density estimate in Peninsular Malaysia by D. Mark Rayan and Shariff Wan Mohamad” in 2009 was done to obtain information on density of tigers specifically in selectively logged forests.
“It is important to note that the study refers to selective logging, not indiscriminate logging.
“Selective logging is a forestry practice that only cuts a select number of trees annually in a forest compartment instead of the whole forest at once, in line with Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) practices,” she said in a letter to Malay Mail.
Rayan and Shariff who are both wildlife experts set up camp at the Gunung Basor Forest Reserve in Kelantan as part of a wide-ranging observation study on Malayan tigers.
Their study covered an area of 120km, aided by infrared camera traps strategically positioned and running round the clock for nine months.
On January 24, Kelantan Forestry Department director Abdul Khalim Abu Samah said areas that are deforested are actually good for tigers.
He claimed that after an area is deforested, new vegetation will grow that will encourage the presence of new animal species that serve as food to tigers.
The Kelantan government had received flak after report of tigers roaming around near Orang Asli villages in Gua Musang with one confirmed death due to a tiger attack on January 7.
On January 12, Kelantan Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah reportedly urged the public not to make baseless claims that illegal logging had displaced the tigers from their habitat.
From the point of view of PAS rank and file, Logs from jungle trees are an Allah given resource.
ReplyDeleteIt is Halal to harvest them for human benefit.