Tigers. I’ve always been intimidated but at the same time in awe about tigers. For me, they are majestic creatures that can protect themselves. Tigers for me are huge, playful yet very heavy kittens. I’ve read a lot of stories where they were unable to estimate their own strength and accidentally hurt their keepers or workers in the zoo. For me, this is not because tigers are vicious. Tigers are just playful and being animals, of course they do not know their strengths.

  Of all the tigers, I like Siberian tigers the most (apart from Tigger hihi). The image of a tiger surrounded by snow looks really cool for me (in terms of my views on the wildlife world).

  But I’m sad to tell you (and also myself) that the number of tigers have been declining steadily. And no no no, declining steadily should not be taken lightly. You can always gasp like right now because they are only 500 tigers in Malaysia. Imagine that nearly 50 years ago, there were like 3,000 tigers. How can the number dwindle so low?

  We have poachers and we have those involved in illegal wildlife trading cartel. Tigers’ organs are being sold illegally, their meat consumed in the belief that it is beneficial to the body while their teeth and head are being turned into souvenirs. Is it necessary to have their parts decorate our homes? We can always hang pretty pictures or the family picture, why choose those that originate from tiger? Or cross-stitch. Must do one today.

  Why do I care so much for tigers? Because tigers make up for the ecological system. Without tigers, how can the food chain in the jungle be kept (yes, I think about food constantly)? How can the stability in the forest be kept?

  There are only 10 men that protect and patrol Belum forest in Pahang. At the size of 5 times bigger than Singapore, I can imagine that patrolling the abovementioned forest is not easy. So why not give tigers a second chance? Give them another chance so we can ensure that it will not suffer the same fate of dodos or Tasmanian tigers that only live in books currently.

  So let’s do our part and pledge our commitment here. After deducting zakat, donating to the poor, to your kids, giving money to your parents, feeding your siblings, go pay for your girlfriends’ new shoes, why not make a small donation at this very crucial time? Just visit this website to do so. So have fun during the weekend and Happy Chinese New Year!