Red Alert

Animals are among the many natural treasures to which Asia is home. We spotlight 14 Asian species listed as critically endangered in the IUCN Red List.

Malayan Tiger Panthera tigris jacksoni Status: Critically Endangered Region: Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia) Population remaining: 250 – 340

Classified as Indochinese tigers until DNA testing in 2004 showed them to be a separate subspecies, the Malayan tiger’s Latin name —Panthera tigris jacksoni— honours Peter Jackson, the famous tiger conservationist. Wild Malayan tigers are found only in the forests on the Malay Peninsula and on the southern tip of Thailand. The destruction of forests for timber, commercial plantations and road development is largely responsible for the tigers’ loss of habitat, which has declined from about 98,8000km² before the 1970s to about 44,700km² in 2014. Trade of tiger parts for medicine or other uses is also a threat to Malayan tigers. Organisations such as Panthera and WWF have supported the species’ conservation through data collection and education.