14 DAY TRIAL // WWF is trying to fight deadly ignorance in Malaysia, by planting suggestive signboards in poaching hot-spots. Their initiative is meant to put an end to illegal activities that imply animal cruelty, since this appears to be one of the most efficient methods of decreasing the number of wildlife crimes.
Poachers keep the black market profitable, by illegally selling bits and pieces of endangered animals for thousands of dollars. WWF is keen on placing signboards in the areas surrounding Gerik town, in an attempt to raise the public opinion's level of awareness regarding the severe penalties applied for wildlife offenses.
“The billboards are part of WWF-Malaysia’s overall efforts to support the enforcement authorities in addressing the poaching crisis which we are now facing at Belum-Temengor,” said Dato’ Dr. Dionysius Sharma, executive director/CEO of WWF-Malaysia.
Malaysia's Belum-Temengor Forest Complex has become poachers' paradise, who succeeded in making several creatures vulnerable or even endangered. The most recent wildlife offense reported in this particular area involved 12 pangolins and two smugglers and took place earlier this month.
Pangolins aren't the only creatures exposed to threats. Officials from WWF noticed that the fate of the Malayan tiger is also questioned, as it represents a valuable asset on the black market.
The offenders are now facing considerable jail time, but in most of the cases such punishments don't prove their efficiency because the temptation of making hundreds of dollars is determining people to encourage illegal animal trade.
The organizations' signboards are relying on the regulations provided by the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 as an efficient method of keeping poachers away from their most-wanted trophies.
It appears that the billboards can increase the level of awareness, but they might also turn out to be ineffective unless they are followed by actual actions. Authorities will need to find appropriate resources to make sure that their message has been understood, distributed and followed by members of local communities.
“The billboards are a great start, but after they go up the authorities will need resources to follow through on the message with action”, affirms Dr. William Schaedla, regional director for TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.