Malaysia’s tigers in crisis due to poachers, habitat loss

For two years, Malaysian conservationists tracked a tiger named “Bulan” as she raised four cubs. Then a fatal traffic accident made her another statistic in the country’s dwindling population.Malaysia’s national animal is in trouble.Poaching, food loss and diminishing habitat have slashed the population from 3,000 in the 1950s to less than 150 roaming free today, according to official estimates.The government said last month it was ramping up efforts to combat wildlife crime, introducing AI-enabled camera traps and methods to detect smuggling at airports.But experts and officials admit that resources fall far short of what is needed to protect the country’s famed big cat, listed as critically endangered.Bulan – Moon in Malay – was killed on the East-West Highway, a thoroughfare notorious for animal traffic incidents.