Tiger biologist calls for strict enforcement to save the Malayan tiger

A tiger known as Bujang caught on a camera trap in Taman Negara, Pahang, in 2011. 'From an evolutionary perspective, the Malayan tiger is very close to extinction.' — DR KAE KAWANISHI

Sleeping in untamed jungles may not be everyone’s cup of tea but for tiger scientist Dr Kae Kawanishi, it made her realise her purpose in life.

Kawanishi, the co-founder of the Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (Mycat), came to Malaysia in 1998 to research the ecology of Malayan tigers under a University of Florida PhD programme. She has been studying the big cats in New and Old World rainforests for three decades now.