Recently, I worked with a Singapore based NGO called the Singapore Wildcat Action Group (SWAG), on a project to support the Malayan Tiger. SWAG, in turn, works with the Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (MYCAT), in a race against time to save the critically endangered Malayan Tiger.
Malayan Tigers were the 9th to be officially classified as an independent species in 2004, and are the national animal of Malaysia. But, despite that highly respected status, as this graph shows, the population of the Malayan tiger has plummeted from an estimated 3000 tigers in 1940, to an astonishing low of 250-350 tigers left today.
Credit: mycat.my
Like with most other big cats, the threat to Malayan tigers comes primarily from habitat loss and poaching. As the forests get encroached by humans, Malayan tigers come into increasing conflict with their human neighbors and are often the victims of snare traps.
To help SWAG & MYCAT, I sketched a Malayan tiger in color. As most of you know, I don't usually sketch in color, so I had to learn new techniques to do this, including layering of color which took over 3 weeks to complete.
With the generosity of Jeune SanJuan (@jeunbug), who bought this sketch, we were able to contribute to an important fund raiser SWAG100Challenge. This fund raiser supports Community Rangers and the important conservation work they do, including:
• Removal of snares
• Forest patrols to monitor illegal activities
• Reforestation to expand forest areas and recover wild habitats for tigers and other wildlife
• Deter poachers, who are one of the biggest threats to tigers in the wild
We have lost 4 out of the 9 tiger subspecies, and if we don't act fast, the Malayan tiger could be the 5th.
Most excitingly, I will continue to work with SWAG and MYCAT in the future to help preserve the natural heritage of my home, Singapore. You can buy exclusive Malayan Tiger themed gift tags from the store on this website, or the SWAG store.