Tiger Facts > Malayan Tiger

Malayan Tiger

Malayan Tiger
Scientific name:

Panthera tigris jacksoni

Habitat:

Sub-tropical and tropical Moist broadleaf forests, secondary vegetation and abandoned agricultural land.

Location:

Sparsely dispersed population only found in the southern part of the Malay peninsula.

IUCN Listing:

Critically Endangered

Population:

Around 200 individuals are estimated (July 2019) as living in the wild.

Size:

The Malayan tiger is smaller than the Indo-Chinese tiger but has a similar appearance; its size is more akin to that of the Sumatran tiger. They can weigh between 100-140kg.

Major Threats:

Malayan tigers are threatened by human-wildlife conflict and loss of habitat as a result of forest conversion for agricultural and development purposes.

Malayan tiger numbers are low due to low prey base numbers, fragmented habitat & poaching. Their prey includes deer, wild boar & sun bears. They only survive in areas away from humans & road developments. Almost 90% of their habitat is found in four Malaysian states: Pahang, Perak, Terengganu & Kelantan. Recent censuses have revealed a sharp decline in Malayan tiger numbers in the wild since 2010, with populations reportedly falling by 50% in six years.

There is little known about the biology of Malayan tigers. They were only identified as a separate sub-species from the Indo-Chinese tiger sub-species in 2004.