PETALING JAYA: From elephant ivory to orang utan skulls, sambar deer horn trophies and more, the list reads like a detailed anatomy of the animal kingdom.
But these are only the parts of vulnerable species that were seized since last year until now, valued at a total of RM11.1mil at least.
“These wildlife seizures may not necessarily be in their original form – for example, the elephant ivory might be found as bracelets or carved into keris or machete handles,” said a spokesman of the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan).
He said the authorities had intensified efforts to combat wildlife crime, with 47 arrests made so far this year, involving personnel from the Wildlife Crime Unit.
The arrests also involved the seizure of 670 individual animals of various species.
Among others, he named the three-keeled land tortoise, Indian star tortoise, Chinese stripe-necked turtle, black pond turtle, leopard tortoise and radiated tortoise.
There were also bird species such as blue-rumped parrots and hanging parrots.
“Other seizures included ball pythons, a skink (a family of reptiles) and a green iguana,” he told The Star.
Apart from live wildlife seizures, the spokesman said they also found 568 suspected wildlife parts including bones, teeth, skin, horns, ivory, meat, skulls, spine and feathers.
This included 43 units of suspected elephant ivory, one unit of what is believed to be an orang utan skull, three sambar deer horn trophies, five barking deer horn trophies, three crocodile head trophies, 15 hornbill head trophies, nine units of Great Argus feathers and 24 wildlife teeth.
According to Perhilitan’s statistics, there has not been a significant surge in illegal wildlife hunting activities following the movement control order (MCO) during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2022, only four cases were recorded. Last year, five cases linked to illegal wildlife hunting activities were found.
“However, overall, there has been an increase in wildlife-related crimes after the MCO was lifted.
“This mostly involved technical offences such as licence non-compliance, which are compoundable offences, and non-technical offences, such as wildlife-related crimes involving possession, smuggling, illegal hunting, trespassing and other activities.
“To enhance the effectiveness of combating online wildlife crime, Perhilitan collaborates with various enforcement agencies such as the police, Customs Department, Immigration Department, CyberSecurity Malaysia and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission,” said the spokesman.
On the illegal trade of exotic animals online, Perhilitan said the department is monitoring such activities on social media platforms.
“However, there are challenges due to online wildlife sales using intermediaries through the ‘dropshipping’ method.
“This method is where the sellers do not keep the wildlife but only take commissions from the sales. It is more challenging when the traders employ the use of fake accounts and the wide range of social media platforms. The strict privacy controls make it difficult to track down the criminals,” he added.
The department is also enforcing Section 88B of the Wildlife Conservation Act, which states that “no person shall promote any wildlife, or any part or derivative of any wildlife, for business transactions unless they are a licensed trader or special permit holder for conducting such business.”
In Sarawak, the state’s efforts to curb high-value illegal wildlife smuggling is being hampered by factors such as geography, limited resources and legal loopholes exploited by traffickers, said Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC), which is responsible for enforcing the Wild Life Protection Ordinance 1998.
Its chief executive officer Abang Arabi Abang Aimran said Sarawak’s vast rainforests and rugged terrain make surveillance and patrolling difficult.
“These geographic challenges allow smugglers to carry out illegal activities undetected, especially along Sarawak’s shared borders with Indonesia and Brunei.
“In addition to manpower shortages, the demand for high-value species like pangolins and hornbills, driven by international markets, is complicating efforts to address these crimes,” he said.
Abang Arabi added that some traffickers exploit legal loopholes, including using fraudulent permits to transport animals.
“They may forge CITES (an official document that grants permission to bring goods into the country) permits or falsely claim that animals were bred in captivity, allowing them to export poached wildlife under legal pretences.”
Abang Arabi also said cargo inspections in Malaysian ports and airports are often less rigorous than passenger checks, giving traffickers an opportunity to conceal wildlife in commercial shipments.
“As a major transshipment hub, Malaysia also sees traffickers moving wildlife through the country en route to other destinations, taking advantage of less stringent checks on transshipment goods,” he added.
Abang Arabi said Malaysia has made strides in addressing wildlife trafficking, but challenges persist in rehabilitating and returning seized wildlife to their natural habitats.
He added that government agencies like the SFC and Perhilitan manage wildlife rescue centres, but these facilities are often overcrowded, underfunded and understaffed.
“This limits their ability to rehabilitate large numbers of animals, particularly exotic and endangered species, which require specialised care and environments.”
Rehabilitating wildlife is time-consuming and costly, especially for species that require extended care, Abang Arabi stressed.
“Government funding and trained personnel are often insufficient, with many animals being unsuitable for release due to disease, behavioural changes or habitat loss.
“While some centres like the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre and Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre have had success, these efforts remain limited in scope and focus primarily on high-profile species,” he added.
