PETALING JAYA: Human-wildlife conflict in Malaysia will worsen if habitat destruction and unsustainable land development continue to go unchecked, say wildlife experts and conservationists.
Environment Protection Society of Malaysia vice-president Randolph Jeremiah said the main driver of rising conflicts was the rapid degradation and loss of natural habitats caused by expanding land development.
“Land clearing for agriculture, infrastructure projects and forest conversion have forced animals out of their original habitats in search of food and resources.
“Roads built through natural habitats also fragment forests, disrupt wildlife movement corridors and restrict access to resources,” he said.
“Ultimately, development and habitat loss bring human and wildlife populations into closer proximity, increasing the likelihood of encounters and conflicts.”
Randolph said there is a need to balance new development with conservation measures, such as wildlife crossings and corridors.
Sahabat Alam Malaysia president Meena Raman warned that shrinking forests and wildlife habitats could lead to more human-wildlife conflicts.
“Malaysia’s coverage of pristine, primary forest has fallen sharply from about 90% of the country’s total landmass a century ago to just about 20% today.
“Without urgent course correction in land-use policies and forest governance, conflict will not only become more frequent, but it also risks becoming irreversible.”
Meena urged the government to halt and review land-use decisions involving the conversion and fragmentation of wildlife habitats, particularly those affecting the Central Forest Spine (CFS).
“CFS must be expanded and its implementation more strictly enforced, as it is currently being undermined, with critical linkages such as those in the Jemaluang and Tenggaroh reserves excluded from protection,” she said.
She also called for comprehensive compensation mechanisms for farmers and plantation operators who suffer losses from wildlife incursions to reduce the risk of retaliatory action against wildlife.
Meena cited studies showing human-wildlife conflict cases in Peninsular Malaysia rose from 5,602 in 2012 to 7,967 in 2018, while more than 9,600 elephant conflict cases between 2006 and 2020 resulted in an estimated RM30mil in agricultural losses.
EcoKnights president Amlir Ayat said the government should invest in infrastructure and initiatives that provide wildlife with food and safe passage, reducing the need for animals to enter human settlements.
“Elephants, for example, are known to be satisfied with food placed in specially designed food banks near common human-wildlife conflict areas, which reduces the likelihood of them entering villages in search of food.
“Security devices such as CCTV and alarm traps can also alert nearby residents to approaching wildlife and allow them to stay out of harm’s way,” he said.
Amlir said unsustainable town and state land-use planning had also contributed significantly to the problem. “Some development projects failed to comply with existing plans intended to protect wildlife habitats, forcing animals such as elephants, tigers and wild boars into human settlements, plantations and highways.
“Due to increasing human populations and economic activity, the conflict is expected to worsen if the current land-use trend continues,” he said.
Wildlife expert Dionysius Sharma said education and awareness among communities living near conflict hotspots were crucial to managing human-wildlife encounters.
“Since human-animal encounters cannot be avoided in some circumstances, we must educate people on how to coexist with wildlife.
“The best-case scenario is for the public to immediately report wildlife encounters to local authorities or district wildlife offices instead of attempting to deal with them themselves.
“This approach is also to protect the animals, since most large animals in Malaysia are listed as protected or endangered species under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010,” he said.
He said there was no long-term scientific baseline data on human-animal conflict trends, although incidents appeared more visible due to social media and easier public reporting.
However, he acknowledged that habitat fragmentation from large-scale agriculture and infrastructure development could lead to more human-wildlife encounters.
