Turning their back on wildlife

WORLD Wildlife Day was just celebrated on March 3 with the theme “Save our wildlife”.

I went online to check out our Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) and read that its vision is to spearhead wildlife conservation for the well-being of Malaysians and that it is committed to the conservation of wildlife and its habitats for future generations. It is also stated on the website that its objectives include strengthening the conservation of wildlife.

As an animal lover who is concerned over the safety of endangered animals, what I read made me feel good.

But this feeling was not to last for long. On the evening of April 6, I drove back to my hometown which is quite close to the centre of Seremban town. Seeing some Perhilitan personnel in my neighbourhood, I stopped to ask what they were doing there.

One of them said they had come to catch some wild boars and were going to relocate them. The wild boars have been living in the neighbourhood for the past few years and had settled there after their natural habitat was cleared for development. No effort had been made to capture and relocate them back then.

When I asked where the animals would be taken, there was some hesitation before one of the workers said “hutan simpanan (forest reserve)” in Kenaboi, Jelebu. My suspicion was aroused by their hesitation so I asked when this was going to be done and also told them that I was prepared to follow them in my car to see how they would carry out the task.

The workers looked perturbed and asked me to leave the area. They said I could not question them as they had orders and I was not to hamper them. I reminded them that it was taxpayers who pay their salaries and that they were accountable to the public. I also stressed that the boars had been there for a long time and had never attacked people.

Then they said they had come earlier and told the residents association to relocate the wild boars within a given time period. Since this had not been done, they were going to cull the wild boars.

It shocked me that Perhilitan had asked the residents (who were teachers, nurses, doctors, lawyers and retirees) to relocate these wild boars.

Isn’t it the department’s job to do this since it is supposed to have the expertise to do so? It’s like going to a doctor only to be told to treat ourselves or the police telling us to go and catch criminals.

I have been taught that good governance centres on the responsibility of governments to meet the needs of the public as a whole and not just certain groups in society.

The principles of wildlife conservation these days should include ensuring that wildlife resources are conserved for the benefit of future generations and considered an endowment of natural wealth.

Wildlife administrators must also be transparent, accountable and accessible to the public.

My encounter with the Perhilitan workers left me feeling bitter and let down. Are we not valuing our wildlife anymore? We cannot be so callous and uncaring.

Do remember that we humans are a mammal species too, so please respect the lives of other mammals.