Singapore Tiger Week 2023
Singapore and Malaysia, Saving the Malayan Tiger Together
Photo courtesy of Dr Kae Kawanishi, MYCAT
Venn Diagram
by Rachel Lim
Through the margins, on the move,
crawling, skulking, dashing, dancing,
winging through attic, trudging through forest,
whispering the song of every creeping thing.
Snuffling in undergrowth, soft-footed gardener,
pair of bright eyes below bubbling water,
world made of shadows,
turn your head, they disappear.
Backed into corners, seeking survival,
food, water, shelter, someplace to come home,
on the fringes of systems hostile to existence,
but not necessarily so—
Learned to scavenge, to keep a distance,
eke out a being on the borders of plenty.
All things must change. This much we know.
Falls on us now, to extend the same courtesies,
trace out the lines of our own adaptations,
like roommates whose pathways interweave daily,
pass through with a light touch. Leave room to grow.
Finding our places on an island Venn diagram,
can we all solve the problem of sharing this planet?
What would it take, to hold all of this
in each worm-eaten heart? Or hope?
Thank you to Pearlyn Sim for all the posters of Singapore Tiger Week 2023.
Watch Singapore Tiger Week 2023 Recording Here
#SingaporeTigerWeek2023
Singapore and Malaysia, Saving the Malayan Tiger Together
Thank you everyone for attending our weekend tiger conference. Thank you for your interest, warmth and hope.
Special thanks to our friends who had travelled from overseas, to Singapore, to a conference on tiger protection. We are truly humbled.
We would also like to take this opportunity of thanking our key sponsors: National Parks Board, Singapore, and the Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, National University of Singapore. SWAG is also very grateful to Mandai Nature and Bollywood Farms Pte Ltd for their kind support for #SingaporeTigerWeek2023
The primary goal of our conference last weekend was to spur action on illegal wildlife trade and poaching, a key threat to the survival of the Malayan tiger. And to strengthen the cooperation and collaboration between Singapore and Malaysia towards saving the Malayan tiger from its imminent extinction.
With your presence and participation, we dare say we’ve made a good start! The conference presentations touched on several critical aspects of tiger plight and conservation, each bringing important perspectives and ideas.
On the first day of the conference, the governments of Malaysia and Singapore shared their strategic plans at conservation of wildlife and stemming the illegal wildlife trade.
His Royal Highness, Prince Hassanal shared about the recent inauguration of the Al-Sultan Abdullah Royal Tiger Reserve by his father, the King of Malaysia, reclaiming a huge tract of forest, 1.8 times the size of Singapore, and protecting it for wildlife.
Threats to the Malayan tiger include poaching using snares, feeding the illegal wildlife trade; loss of habitat due to land use priorities, leading to habitat fragmentation. Another critical challenge was the loss of prey species due to poaching and disease. Should these threats continue, the Malayan tiger will go extinct soon.
Boots-on-the ground patrols to deter illegal activity in the forest were brought up by several speakers from government and non-government organisations. Groups spoke about indigenous community contribution in the form of ranger patrols and how it is essential to involve the community who live alongside the tiger. Involving urbanites so far removed from the forest, in surveillance walks also contribute boots-on-the-ground whilst increasing awareness, empathy, and personal well-being. Another missing link presented was the ex-situ conservation potential and efforts developing in both Malaysia and Singapore.
On the second day of our tiger conference, we learned about the domestic demand for bush meat leading to the silent forest syndrome in Asia, and about the brave work done by Asian NGOs fighting for wildlife.
A panel of speakers from government, logistics, homeland security and shipping discussed closing the gaps in legislation, detection and enforcement to fight the illegal wildlife trade, closing our weekend conference with plenty of food for thought and potential for action.
SWAG stands committed in continuing to take action for the Malayan tiger and looks forward to working with all parties involved in this endeavour.
The full program for Singapore Tiger Week 2023 can be downloaded here.
Summary Notes from Singapore Tiger Week kindly made available on Nick Measures Blog, a friend of SWAG.
Summary Notes from Singapore Tiger Week kindly made available for
download here, written by
Singapore Youth Voices For Biodiversity
The band Thousand Lemmings Convention wrote the song "A Thousand Footsteps in the Mist" for #SingaporeTigerWeek 2023. This song takes you through the forest on the path walked by both tigers and the hard working conservationists fighting for their survival. You can listen to the song here! Download the lyrics here.
SWAG is grateful for the time, effort and expertise put in by the team for writing and recording such a beautiful piece. Do keep your ears peeled for more conservation music produced by them!
WITH KIND SUPPORT FROM
Interested to find out more about how you can help?
Join us on a CAT Walk today to take action to protect and preserve the habitat crucial for the survival of the Malayan Tiger.
Contact SWAG or sign up to volunteer!
Email us:
info@swagcat.org
You can also find us here:
