Conservation groups have sounded the death knell for Malaysia’s endangered wildlife. Special emphasis is being placed on pangolins and the Malayan tapir, both of which are now cited under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 2008 Red list, with many more joining the list.

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) strongly believes that our Malaysian wildlife is in jeopardy. This has been long foreseen, following the numerous and frequent reports of wildlife smuggling activities involving especially pangolins and snakes.

Seizure of pangolins, reptiles, exotic meats and tiger parts indicate widespread poaching. News of extinction certainly does not augur well for the Malaysian wildlife authorities, as it indicates failure on their part to protect the animals.

The rapid rate of decline in animal species over the decade has become a reason for great concern. The cause of this decimation is almost all directly related to human activity.

For example, the threat of habitat destruction being imposed upon wildlife species due to human development activities range from roads, quarrying, mining, marinas to other factors such as poaching, hunting, pet trade, consumer demands and zoos.

Another serious concern is the issuing of licenses for hunting. In spite of the fact that only game animals are allowed to be taken during the open season, there is no guarantee that protected species will not be shot.

Hunting, whether legally or illegally, along with other forms of poaching, inflict great damage on wildlife. Modern-day poaching is a highly-organised venture fueled by greed and profit. It is not known how long more these species can tolerate such exploitation, or how it will affect the rarer wildlife.

A question which needs to be immediately addressed is can these animals be saved from extinction? Yes, if the problem is nipped in the bud by putting a halt to the carnage at wildlife habitats. The Wildlife Department must beef up efforts to catch offenders in cities and forest fringes, and to act against wildlife killings.

Wildlife enforcement authorities should be assigned to duty at forests and wildlife habitats to deter poachers from continuing with their illegal activities.

An inventory of animal species is an essential first step towards halting the slide of endangered animal species into extinction. A freeze on licenses permitting wildlife exploitation is also a critical measure. For example, licenses for hunting, licenses for the sale of wildlife in pet shops and 'special' permits for endangered species at zoos should no longer be renewed or issued.

State governments can help alleviate the crisis faced by wildlife by making a concerted effort to manage their land better. Ignorance on the part of zealously optimistic developers about the creatures and plants inhabiting the land they wish to develop does not excuse them from the responsibility of protecting and preserving the plant and animal species in that area.

An important point to remember is that conservation efforts should not mean isolation, but rather preserving wildlife species along with their natural habitat, thus maintaining healthy ecosystems.

As a whole, conservation efforts should encompass wildlife and habitat management, bolder restructuring of wildlife and environmental protection policies and effective planning.

Sadly, all too often, conservation efforts are not heeded until the loss of a valued species becomes dramatic and intensely noticeable, by which time there are too few left for the particular species to recover in numbers.

The writer is president, Sahabat Alam Malaysia.