Protection of Wildlife

MALACCA: A week-long surveillance by authorities off the coastal waters of Ujong Pasir for possible illegal wildlife trade paid off when marine police rescued 35 pangolins destined for cooking pots. - The Star Online, 20 February 2010

The cases of illegal smuggling of wildlife have increasing rapidly and based on The Star/Asia News Network's news article titled "Malaysia a hub for wildlife smuggling" dated 19 January 2009, Malaysia is ranked among the top illegal wildlife smuggling hubs in the world, specialising in transporting pangolins, birds and clouded monitor lizards. Smuggling and illegal trading of endangered animals have posed a major threat to those animals and an act that is related to protecting wildlife is the Protection of Wild Life Act 1972.

There is more and more attention given to the issue of protecting wildlife, especially for endangered animals. This is proven by a news article in the star online dated 4 March 2009 titled "Stiffer penalties proposed to safeguard wildlife". It stated that "The proposed amendment to the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 (PWA) will have increased penalty of up to 30 times and mandatory jail term for offences against endangered wildlife species".

Apart from all the efforts done, we should also play a part in protecting wildlife. Take an example from the case of smuggling pangolins. People try to smuggle pangolins due to the existence of demand and they can make a sum of money from it. Thus, if there is no demand for wildlife, the cases of smuggling wildlife will be decreased as money is no longer an attraction in these illegal trades.