IPOH: A Malayan tiger that was captured in Bukit Kinding here last Sunday has been given an assignment: Breed.
The predator, which has been named “Yob Kinding”, would be kept for breeding, as a means to conserve the critically endangered species, said Yusoff Shariff, the Perak director of the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan).
“We will raise it until it matures first.
“It will be the male progenitor (induk) for the purpose,” he said when contacted.
A male tiger could reach sexual maturity between three-and-a-half and five years old.
The tiger, believed to be two years old and weighs about 75kg, was captured by Perhilitan after it walked into a trap set at a durian orchard.
Perak Perhilitan had installed the trap following reports raised by residents about wild animal attacks.
Yob Kinding is in good health and being cared for at the National Wildlife Rescue Centre (NWRC) in Sungkai.
There are 11 tigers at the NWRC but it is believed that there are fewer than 150 left in the wild.
The NWRC, which currently has three breeding pairs, aims to breed enough tigers to help raise the national population to 400 through rewilding programmes.
A video of Yob Kinding had gone viral, as the animal was recorded showing up at a durian orchard and slowly approaching a team of Malayan Tiger Conservation Unit (UKHM) personnel.
The unit was at the location, having responded to a tiger sighting there.
In the video, a UKHM member could be heard telling his colleagues to back away and return to their vehicle while trying to use a tree branch to dissuade the predator from charging at them.
