Now that Iman is gone, its species is now officially extinct in the country.

However sad the news may be, it should serve as a desperate wake-up call to all, says World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia.

Protect the other animals

WWF-Malaysia chief executive officer Sophia Lim told The Star Online that after the death of Iman, the focus should now be on helping other endangered species thrive and to eliminate threats to wildlife.

She suggested that there must be better policies and stronger legislation on wildlife conservation and WWF would continue working with various government agencies to coordinate implementation efforts on the ground to avoid more wildlife loss.

“While we must collectively address the threat of poaching, we must also work on saving the natural habitats that harbour our wildlife species.

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“The remaining forests should be retained either as protected areas for wildlife sanctuaries or forest reserves where harvesting of timber is done in a refined and sustainable manner that allows wildlife to co-exist.

“Ultimately, ensuring the survival of wildlife is a responsibility that is shared by all,” she was quoted as saying.

She added that the police and other agencies has somewhat helped address the problem by arresting poachers and seizing wildlife meat.

Over the years, she said WWF Malaysia had worked together with the government and other organisations to help stop the extinction of the Sumatran rhinoceros in Sabah, including setting up camera traps, which led to the detection of the male rhinoceros Tam in 2009 and then Iman, in 2014.