Annual run returns to spotlight coexistence with wildlife
THE 'Run for Tigers' charity event taking place on July 26 returns with a call for coexistence between people and wildlife, in conjunction with Global Tiger Day 2025.
Organised by WWF Malaysia in collaboration with Maybank, this Saturday's 3.5km fun run will take place at Padang Semarak in Putrajaya Wetlands Park.
This year's theme, 'Stride for Stripes', aims to raise awareness of the Malayan tiger's plight and urgent need to move from human-wildlife conflict towards coexistence.
This comes after a spate of tragic encounters between communities and wild animals over the past year.
A portion of the event's proceeds will go directly to conservation, with RM10 from each registration used for WWF Malaysia's tiger conservation initiatives.
'Tiger conservation is about more than just preventing extinction; it is about securing a balanced future where both people and wildlife can thrive,' said WWF Malaysia chief executive officer and executive director Sophia Lim.
'The Malayan tiger is a symbol of our natural heritage and its survival hinges on how well we can address human-wildlife conflict and shift towards a future of coexistence.
'Through collective effort, awareness and compassion, we can build that future together,' she said.
Malaysia's Malayan tiger population remains critically endangered while continued encroachment into forested habitats increase the likelihood of conflict, putting both humans and tigers at risk.
The Maybank-WWF Malaysia partnership, since 2016, has supported anti-poaching patrols, prey recovery, community empowerment and the strengthening of Conservation Assured|Tiger Standards (CA|TS) site management.
The partnership has also enabled over 100 rangers to cover more than 70,000sq km of forests and deactivating 240 snares.
'From conflict to coexistence –that is the path we must pursue,' said Maybank Foundation chief executive officer and Maybank group corporate affairs head Izlyn Ramli.
'Through our collaboration with WWF Malaysia, we are not only safeguarding wildlife but also fostering safer environments for people living near forests.
'By investing in anti-poaching patrols, ecological monitoring, and community engagement, we are demonstrating how responsible corporate partnerships can help address long-term conservation challenges,' she emphasised.
Izlyn said 'Run for Tigers' was a step toward protecting one of the world's most iconic species.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Annual run returns to spotlight coexistence with wildlife
The charity run will highlight human-wildlife coexistence. — Filepic THE 'Run for Tigers' charity event taking place on July 26 returns with a call for coexistence between people and wildlife, in conjunction with Global Tiger Day 2025. Organised by WWF Malaysia in collaboration with Maybank, this Saturday's 3.5km fun run will take place at Padang Semarak in Putrajaya Wetlands Park. This year's theme, 'Stride for Stripes', aims to raise awareness of the Malayan tiger's plight and urgent need to move from human-wildlife conflict towards coexistence. This comes after a spate of tragic encounters between communities and wild animals over the past year. A portion of the event's proceeds will go directly to conservation, with RM10 from each registration used for WWF Malaysia's tiger conservation initiatives. 'Tiger conservation is about more than just preventing extinction; it is about securing a balanced future where both people and wildlife can thrive,' said WWF Malaysia chief executive officer and executive director Sophia Lim. 'The Malayan tiger is a symbol of our natural heritage and its survival hinges on how well we can address human-wildlife conflict and shift towards a future of coexistence. 'Through collective effort, awareness and compassion, we can build that future together,' she said. Malaysia's Malayan tiger population remains critically endangered while continued encroachment into forested habitats increase the likelihood of conflict, putting both humans and tigers at risk. The Maybank-WWF Malaysia partnership, since 2016, has supported anti-poaching patrols, prey recovery, community empowerment and the strengthening of Conservation Assured|Tiger Standards (CA|TS) site management. The partnership has also enabled over 100 rangers to cover more than 70,000sq km of forests and deactivating 240 snares. 'From conflict to coexistence –that is the path we must pursue,' said Maybank Foundation chief executive officer and Maybank group corporate affairs head Izlyn Ramli. 'Through our collaboration with WWF Malaysia, we are not only safeguarding wildlife but also fostering safer environments for people living near forests. 'By investing in anti-poaching patrols, ecological monitoring, and community engagement, we are demonstrating how responsible corporate partnerships can help address long-term conservation challenges,' she emphasised. Izlyn said 'Run for Tigers' was a step toward protecting one of the world's most iconic species.
The Star
09-07-2025
- The Star
Ecowatch: At a crossroads over wildlife roadkil
BY now, everyone would have read about the elephant whose calf was killed by a lorry along KM80 of the Gerik-Jeli stretch of the East-West Highway in May 2025. At the very least, everyone would have seen the heartbreaking pictures on social media: the mother elephant standing, exhausted and blood spattered, near the offending vehicle, and the body of the calf mowed down dead under the wheels. The image tore at the hearts of Malaysians everywhere and re-ignited a furious debate on social media on how best to protect our wildlife when even giants like elephants aren't safe. However, while the blame game was quick to follow, as with many of our conservation issues, there are no quick solutions. Besides obvious factors such as deforestation and habitat fragmentation forcing wildlife to travel to find food and, hence, leading to such incidents, it's time, experts say, for us to relook our road design and, more importantly, the attitude of Malaysian drivers. This is essential if we are to protect our wildlife. Prof Norhafezah: Ecoviaducts, she says, must be upgraded through targeted improvement plans. — Photo provided While a number of viaducts – or ecoviducts, as they're called – have been constructed in the country to serve as wildlife crossings, roadkill incidents continue to occur due to several underlying factors, says Universiti Teknologi Mara's Assoc Prof Dr Norhafezah Kasmuri. 'The issue is not necessarily the quantity of ecoviaducts, but rather the effectiveness of their design and placement. 'Many existing structures do not sufficiently attract or guide wildlife to use them, often due to a lack of connectivity with natural habitats, inadequate vegetation cover, noise disturbances, or poor integration with animal movement patterns,' she explains. In 2020, Prof Norhafezah presented a paper on 'Human and Animal Conflicts: A case study of wildlife roadkill in Malaysia' with co-authors Nadirah Nazar and Abdullah Zawawi Mohd Yazid. Among others, the paper examined in detail the species involved in roadkill incidents as well as the effectiveness of the wildlife ecoviaducts built across the country. According to the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan), 2,336 wild animals were killed by vehicles nationwide from 2020 to 2024, with 522 incidents recorded last year alone. In terms of species, the most affected by roadkill incidents over the five year-period are monitor lizards, with 548 struck down. Second were macaques at 487, followed by 329 wild boar, 326 civet species, and 118 cat species. The Malayan tapir tops the list of large mammals most frequently killed in road accidents nationwide. Elephants were at number three after panthers and sunbears which tied at second place. All these species are endangered in Malaysia. Safe passage The senior lecturer from UTM's civil engineering faculty points out that despite the existence of wildlife crossings, the continuing rise in roadkill suggests a need for improved mitigation strategies. Wildlife crossings include overpasses like viaducts – which are elevated structures like a bridge – and underpasses, culverts, and rope bridges. Underneath this elevated highway section is the Sungai Yu Ecoviaduct that connects two main forest areas separated by Federal Route 8 seen on the right. At the launch of the ecoviaduct on July 30, 2016, media were informed that that part of Route 8 was expected to be closed, leaving the viaduct undistured by traffic. This would hopefully encourage wildlife to use this route to cross from one forested area to the other. — Filepic/The Star Currently, Malaysia has some ecoviaducts in critical areas, such as a 200m structure built at KM157 of the Gerik-Jeli Highway, which cuts through a critical ecological corridor in the Central Forest Spine. The Gerik-Jeli Highway is the stretch of the East-West Highway where the accident with the mother elephant and calf occurred. There are also plans to build other ecoviaducts, such as along Jalan Batu Pahat-Jemaluang in Johor, which will involve three forest reserves. However, conservationists have pointed out that wildlife, particularly large species like the elephants, need to roam vast areas to survive. Several key enhancements are going to be necessary, argues Prof Norhafezah, if more wildlife are to be encouraged to use these crossings. Ecoviaducts, she says, must be upgraded through targeted improvement plans that focus on making the structures more compatible with the surrounding ecosystem, 'This includes incorporating tropical forest elements such as native vegetation, salt licks, and water sources to create a more natural and inviting environment for wildlife. 'Regular landscape maintenance is also crucial to ensure that these crossings remain accessible and safe for animals, while the installation of guiding fences can help channel wildlife towards the ecoviaducts and prevent them from crossing at dangerous road segments,' she says. Ongoing research on local wildlife behaviour is also essential to tailor the design and features of these structures to the specific needs of the species in the area. 'With these improvements, ecoviaducts can become more effective in reducing roadkill and supporting long-term wildlife conservation,' says Prof Norhafezah. Animal crossings In addition to ecoviaducts or ecobridges, there are several other engineering road designs and mitigation measures that have been successfully implemented around the world to help wildlife safely navigate roads. For instance, underpasses and tunnels such as drainage pipes and amphibian tunnels – integrated with fencing – allow smaller and medium-sized animals like reptiles and otters to cross roads safely beneath traffic. There are also real-time animal detection systems, wildlife reflectors and repellents, modified road lighting and design, fencing and funnel systems, road bridges and canopy crossings, and vegetated road verges and 'green bridges' (see graphic below). Prof Norhafezah lists the Netherlands as a global leader in wildlife crossings with over 600 structures, including ecoviaducts – or ecoducts as they're called there – and amphibian tunnels. Other countries of note are Canada, Germany, France and Japan – which even has underpasses for crabs. These international practices, she says, demonstrate that a combination of innovative engineering, ecological understanding, and proper placement can greatly reduce roadkill and support wildlife conservation. 'For Malaysia, adopting a more diversified and species-specific approach – beyond just viaducts – can significantly improve the safety and effectiveness of wildlife crossings,' she says. However, while ecoviaducts, underpasses, and fencing are critical in guiding animals safely across roads, they cannot fully prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions without the cooperation of road users, says Prof Norhafezah. 'Many accidents occur due to driver negligence, excessive speeding in known wildlife zones, or lack of awareness about wildlife movement patterns, especially at night,' she says. Senseless speed At the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) chairman Prof Wong Shaw Voon has a simple solution for reducing wildlife roadkill: reduce speed. 'It's very important for us, both humans and animals, to survive together. Prof Wong: Education is important not just in driving schools but as constant reminders. — Filepic/The Star 'And why do we say survive together? Because it is not only that we kill the wildlife but sometimes, we also get ourselves into trouble or get injured or even killed. 'If we're able to manage speed and drive at a safe speed, most of the time we can prevent crashes,' he explains. Malaysian drivers, he adds, also need to better understand local wildlife, such as knowing how, when, or which animals migrate, for example. The problem, however, is that most drivers and even road engineers are not wildlife specialists. 'Most of us have little knowledge about animals – maybe what we pick up from videos or TV, which isn't always accurate. 'So for ordinary drivers without this knowledge, the easiest thing to do is simple: reduce speed. 'Don't speed,' reiterates Prof Wong, adding that motorists also tend to take lightly the signboards alerting them to the presence of wildlife in the area. Perhilitan has reportedly put up over 300 wildlife crossing signs across Peninsular Malaysia only for them to be largely ignored. Should the drivers' learners curriculum include a section on wildlife and how drivers should act around them? Prof Wong says that there is already some information about wildlife signboards in the textbook but it is not in-depth. Education, says the professor, is important not just in driving schools but as constant reminders and awareness. Signage reminding motorists of the presence of elephants along the East-West Highway. — Filepic/The Star 'Enforcement must come in also, which is a way to educate and change behaviour, especially on speeding and being alert,' he adds. Other measures include taking into consideration the needs of local wildlife and consulting experts when designing roads passing through forests, and using technology like motion sensors, autonomous emergency braking systems, and those that recognise speed limits and slow the vehicle down accordingly. 'Of course, this can further link to a system that recognises that you are entering a wildlife zone, decides what should be the right speed, and gives you a warning to be alert,' he says. Prof Norhafezah agrees that education and the use of modern technology like artificial intelligence-powered warning systems, motion sensitive lights, and real-time alerts are the right steps towards reducing wildlife roadkill. 'Inculcating respect and empathy for wildlife, especially among frequent highway users, transport operators, and local communities, can lead to more responsible driving habits. 'Ultimately, conservation is a shared responsibility,' she says. Are we willing to step up and share this responsibility by driving more responsibly, or are we going to just wait for the next heart-breaking drama to play out on social media? While people are debating about the issue – and that's a start – we are at a crossroads about whether we can make necessary changes or continue to let our wildlife die on the roads.
The Star
09-07-2025
- The Star
Ecowatch: What on earth is in the billions of tonnes of rubbish we throw out?
For Malaysians, 30% of the almost 40,000 tonnes of solid waste we generate daily is food. — Filepic/The Star
