The Tiger's Forest, KORBU Malaysia

As the car climbed the winding roads towards Pos Yum, a mountain village in Korbu, Malaysia, I remember feeling both excited, and a little nervous. The narrow road to the village cut through rich, tropical jungle, dense with lush trees that formed a formidable green barrier separating the car from what lay behind. I heard the occasional call of birds, the sound of flowing water, but the jungle is so dense that you hear more than you can see. As we got closer and closer to the heart of the jungle, my pulse quickened, as I knew, hiding in the thicket, was a whole different world. An ecosystem, ruled by the Malayan Tiger, that thrived on the bounty of the forest.

L to R: Korbu Forest © RIMAU; Driving Up to Pos Yum; SWAG, RIMAU & Ayan Kamath Mehra at Pos Yum

At least, the Tiger used to thrive. But now, with the explosion of human poaching, they are on the brink of extinction.

Of the original nine subspecies of tiger in the world, three are already extinct. With less than 150 remaining individuals, the Malayan Tiger may be next to go.

Though we can't see them through the dense foliage, we have to protect the hidden treasure, the last of the great apex predators of peninsular Malaysia.

Malayan Tiger in the Korbu Forest © RIMAU

If the Malayan Tiger has a chance for survival, it won't come through support from big corporations or international donors alone. It will mainly come through the passion and action of locals in Korbu. But, given the elusiveness of the Malayan Tiger, and the dense forest that hides its inhabitants well, nobody, not even the forest rangers, have ever seen a tiger in real life.

So, how do we build an emotional connection with something you have never seen? Art may be the answer.

Both creating and viewing art can channel intense passion in people, and, more than words, it can foster emotional connections between the subject, the creator, and the viewer. Art can make people care, it can make people invested in the protection of the Malayan forest and its king—the Malayan Tiger.

Tiger sketch by Ash (RIMAU Volunteer) & Qualesa

This is why we chose Pos Yum, a kampong (village) in the state of Perak, as the perfect place for The Tigers' Forest project. Pos Yum is in the heart of the Korbu forest, and borders Malayan Tiger territory. Many of its inhabitants are Rangers or earn their livelihood through the bounty of the land. The Tiger's Forest was created by Drawing for the Planet (founded by artist and educator Jane Lee McCracken), in partnership with the Born Free Foundation, with me as Project Ambassador. In Malaysia, we partnered with RIMAU (NGO focused on Malayan Tiger conservation) and the Singapore Wildcat Action Group (SWAG) to facilitate the workshops. You can read more about The Tigers' Forest workshops in my previous blog, but essentially, the workshop combines wildlife conservation education by Born Free, with Drawing for the Planet's practical Biro art class. Together, education and art foster knowledge and emotional investment in the Malayan Tiger - the first step towards a generation invested in its protection.

Clockwise from Top Left: Kampong Accomodation; Community Hall, Dr. Vilma D'Rozario (Director, SWAG), Atika French (SWAG Volunteer) & Ayan Kamath Mehra (The Tiger's Forest Project Ambassador); RIMAU Education Material; View of the Kampong River; Mist settling over the treetops in the evening

We did two workshops at Pos Yum. The first one was with kids aged three to five, who attended the in-village kindergarten, and the other with kids a few years older who went to a primary school in the neighboring village. Many of the workshop participants were children of rangers who protect tigers and all the wildlife in Korbu day in and day out. This made it extra special, as were giving back to the front liners in conservation.

Even though I have done many TTF workshops in the past, Pos Yum offered me many new experiences. To begin with, I was speaking in English, which was then translated into Malay (the national language of Malaysia), and then further translated in Temiar (the tribal language of the region).

While initially I found the 2 step translation a little awkward, in a few minutes we hit a rhythm of delivering in 3 languages, and it was then I realized the power of art - crossing boundaries, nationalities and languages.

Click on arrow to move slideshow. L:R - Workshop 1 kicks off; Lara Ariffin (RIMAU Co-Founder) talking about tigers; Kids choosing what to draw; Ayan delivering the art workshop with 2 levels of translation; Kids drawing

In the morning session with the younger kids, one moment stands out. I was doing a demonstration on a vertical wooden board in front of the hall. Kids crowded around me and I could feel wriggling humans on various parts of my back, feet, legs, and arms. Fidgety, but quiet, they watched me draw. Once the Rajah Brooke Birdwing took form, one kid exclaimed "Wow!", and scampered back to begin his drawing. The others followed, reinvigorated with new enthusiasm.

In that moment, I felt art work its magic again. The magic of seeing something in your mind's eye, known only to you, become visible to the world, and spark a reaction.

Later in the workshop, as I went around helping kids get started on their drawings, I learned how to teach through actions, expressions, and gestures. I must have looked crazy from afar mock-drawing the back of an elephant, the leg of a tiger, or the tail of a macaque in the air. Luckily though, the kids were very cute and laughed along as beautiful little biro animals from the tiger's forest started to appear on their papers.

L:R - Ayan demonstrating Biro art, Atika & Ayan helping the kids get started

We ended the workshop with lots of fun activities by RIMAU including tiger mask painting, match the animals, and finally a chance for the kids to show off their work and win prizes. I was thrilled to be able to gift prints of my Malayan Tiger sketches to the Village Headman of Pos Yum, as a tribute to the bounty of Korbu's forest.

Click on arrow to move slideshow. L-R - Kids displaying their artwork of a variety of animals from the Korbu forest

After two days - 12 hours of traveling and 12 hours of workshops - I left Pos Yum exhausted, but oddly energized. Layar Liar's words come to mind:

Bila kenal kita cinta, bila cinta Kita lindungi. When we know, we will love, and when we love, we will protect.