Taman Negara National Park is a critical habitat for Malayan tigers. It was once home to the densest population of tigers in Malaysia, but their numbers have since crashed, and now the park forms a vital corridor connecting two separate groups. This information, however, hasn’t escaped the knowledge of poachers, who lay snares to illegally catch and kill these critically endangered animals.
In Apple TV+’s new series The Wild Ones, Vianet Djenguet, Declan Burley, and Aldo Kane go in search of Malayan tigers in hopes of gathering critical data that could help to garner the support needed to better defend them from poachers. Finding them required venturing deep into one of Earth’s last remaining wildernesses, including a river – that the team can’t name for safety reasons – fewer people have been up than have been into space.
Such a big predator taken down by a snare so deep in the jungle. My first initial feeling was just kind of sick. Couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
Declan Burley
Once set up in their camp (occasionally in the company of swarms of bees), the team set about deploying camera traps far and wide. When the time came to review their footage, they discovered a heartbreaking piece of footage that perfectly encapsulates what one of the world’s rarest tigers is up against.
Camera operator Burley was initially thrilled to see a male Malayan tiger on one of the camera trap recordings. However, a closer look at the footage revealed something shocking: the tiger only had three feet. Earlier in the episode, the trio themselves came very close to stepping on a snare, and it seems this individual had to fight its way to freedom at the cost of one of its limbs.
“Seeing that shot was a shock,” said Burley to IFLScience. “Such a big predator taken down by a snare so deep in the jungle. My first initial feeling was just kind of sick. Couldn’t believe what I was seeing. That was one of the first shots we got to see of the Malayan tiger. Heartbreaking, really, but then it’s also that motivation[…] Initially it was heartbreak, but these animals are resilient.”
“For me, it was a very powerful image,” added Kane. “We live in a world where we only see the cute, natural images, but that is only a part of the story. Animals are endangered all over the world from many threats and this is what The Wild Ones is all about. Showing the world the real issues, these animals have, and poaching and snares are a real threat, not just to tigers, but all wildlife in the forest.”
This species has such a tough life being hunted by poachers who can sell every part of their body for high prices. It is something I cannot truly understand.
Vianet Djenguet
The team were working with conservationist and tiger expert Liang Song Horng who carried out a nationwide census of Malayan tigers five years ago with the Malaysia Wildlife Department. It revealed crashing numbers, but now they needed new data to reassess how the tigers were getting on. The footage captured in The Wild Ones filming will contribute to this ongoing work, and our resilient three-footed male will be an important part of it.
“An image like this is really powerful,” Liang Song Horng told the trio. “It can trigger a big change. If you show this image, how many people will be even more upset with the poaching? I can see you get really emotional, but keep in mind that he’s still alive, right? So, we will use him to save his species.”
Malayan tigers face an uncertain future, but conservationists haven’t given up.
Image credit: The Wild Ones, Apple TV+
The cameras captured a vast array of Malaysian forest life, but among the most exciting of clips was a Malayan tiger with three cubs.
“Seeing the trio of tiger cubs was a big moment of hope,” said Djenguet to IFLScience. “This species has such a tough life being hunted by poachers who can sell every part of their body for high prices. It is something I cannot truly understand. The tigers represent something very powerful, a symbol of power, and they have become a victim as people want to take their power. But the little cubs can revitalise the forest once again and bring back the power of their biodiversity to their home.”
The episode ends with Kane taking a helicopter meeting with HRH Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah, Crown Prince of Pahang, who has already established a new Royal Tiger Reserve (on paper). It’s hoped the images and data captured will add weight to his work with the government in trying to establish greater protections outside of the park’s boundaries, including more ranger patrols, to try and reduce the threats these animals face as they move across the landscape.
It’s just one of six important conservation stories explored in the series, with other episodes going in search of the North Atlantic right whale, Western Lowland gorillas, Caucasian leopards, Javan rhinos, and Gobi bears. Join along for the adventure in The Wild Ones, premiering July 11, 2025, on Apple TV+.
Source Link: "Powerful Image" Of One Of The World’s Rarest Tigers Exposes The Real Danger In Taman Negara
