Government

Existing Efforts

Several protected areas have been set up in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia to preserve important forest habitats such as the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, the Khao Sok National Park in Thailand, and the Way Kambas National Park in Sumatra. These protected areas allow Malayan Tapirs to grow without unnecessary disturbance.

In 2002 the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Malaysia (Perhilitan) established an objective of developing a Malayan tapir conservation action plan. Perhilitan cooperated with Copenhagen Zoo on a Tapir conservation programme in Pahang and went on to set up a Malayan Tapir Conservation Center that provides refuge for displaced tapirs as well as having a secondary aim of studying and breeding captive Tapirs.

tapir observation

 

 

 

In 2005, Malaysia developed a Central Forest Spine (CFS) plan, a project to connect four major areas of forest across the peninsular to provide a better protection of the habitat for wildlife. Also, under the Tenth Malaysia Plan in 2010, warning signs about animal crossings are to be put along roads where there are frequent sightings of wildlife.

Indonesia came out with the National Tapir Conservation Action Plan in 2013, however it has not yet been able to be effectively executed all over the country.

FURTHER EFFORTS

There were problems in the implementation of the projects. In the report of Maniam & Singaravelloo in 2015, it was discovered that not much progress have been achieved for the past ten years. One of the reason was due to part of the project procedures that interferes with land development, such as forest links which affects state revenue. It is especially essential that the government think in the long run and really implement forest habitat protection before everything is too late.

 

PERHILITAN, The Department of Wildlife and National Parks Malaysia in short, is a governmental organisation that is responsible for the protection, management and preservation of wildlife in Malaysia.  However, in an incident whereby there were contact between humans and Tapirs, certain authorities, JPAM(Journal of Policy Analysis and Management) and BOMBA(Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia) were contacted and they arrived only to suffocate the Tapir to death.

It was then reported that PERHILITAN only arrived the following day when the tapir was already long dead. Surely, PERHILITAN could have stronger commitment on the protection of endangered species.

 

Better results are definitely achievable by creating more protected areas and enforcing the laws concerning illegal tapirs trade. Additionally, governments in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia could also be more enthusiastic and promote World Tapir Day. Governments should work hand in hand together with the communities in terms of managing the habitat, enforcing the law and raising awareness of Malayan Tapirs.