-White Tigers have foot-hold in the wild, have returned.

The white tiger now has a foot-hold in the wild.  Over the years there has been many false propaganda ideas that white tigers are only a man-made version of the regular color Bengal tiger. History refutes this, as records show that the first recorded white tiger sighting was in the wild, in 1556 in India. The white tiger was reported to have been extinct from the wild in 1958.  It’s back!

During the last week in October, (2019) [The Star/Asia News Network] reports the discovery was made during a boots-on-the-ground program called “Ops Belang” (Operation Stripes)   “Ops Belang”, which was started by the government to protect tigers and their habitat as well as to combat poachers, is carried out in collaboration with the Johor Forestry Department and Johor National Parks Corporation. During this on going operation officials came across four tigers, believed to just at 1 year old on a far side river bank, and two of them were white. [see above photo]

The news of the white tigers returning further encouraged the Sultan. He told Malaysia's Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) and other relevant enforcement agencies to intensify operations and patrols to combat illegal wildlife hunting.

Perhilitan found 298 wire snares and 23 illegal camps set by poachers to trap animals, especially tigers, in Johor jungles from January to July this year. "We know where the hot spots are as we found many of the snares around the Panti Forest Reserve and Endau Rompin National Park during our patrols under Ops Belang," he said.

State Perhilitan director Salman Saaban pointed out that the poachers would buy tools such as wire cables from hardware shops to make the snares.

He believed the poachers also received help from locals, who provided them with information.

The poachers, Salman said, would stay in the jungle for one to two weeks, hoping to trap animals in the snares. Although the poachers did not rely on firearms to hunt the animals, they were usually armed with knives and axes, he added.

He said Perhilitan believed that the poachers targeted animals such as tigers, as enforcement officers would sometimes find carcasses of wild boars, mouse deer and serow - a kind of antelope - left untouched by poachers.

"The price of a tiger can reach up to RM100,000 ($32,500) in the black market," said Mr Salman, adding that many of the poachers came from Indochina countries and worked in factories here. Some of them have work permits while others entered the country illegally.

He said Perhilitan could only take action against the poachers if they were found to be in possession of wildlife or animal parts under the Wildlife Conservation Act.

He said the government's efforts in protecting wildlife would receive a major boost with the involvement of the police force, which is expected to be part of an enforcement operation in the near future.

"Having the police force in the wildlife enforcement operation in future is a good move," Mr Salman said.