ANN/THE STAR – As we emerged from the viaduct in Royal Belum State Park, Gerik, Perak, an elephant appeared, catching us completely off guard. We stood in awe as the enormous mammal reached for the leaves of a nearby tree. The Royal Belum State Park, part of the Belum-Temengor Forest Reserve, features the A-PL1 viaduct, identified in the Ecological Connectivity in Central Forest Spine (CFS) by PLANMalaysia.
Built in 2015, this viaduct, underneath the Gerik-Jeli Highway, provides a safe passage for wildlife living in the forest reserve. This structure is part of the efforts by World Wide Fund For Nature Malaysia (WWF) to safeguard wild animals. Senior field biologist Muhamad Afif Wafiy Mohamad Taib, who was the media trip’s group guide, said the walkway connects two points, allowing animals – including the endangered Malayan tigers – to cross safely without getting run over by cars on the highway.
“By providing them with a larger area to roam, the viaduct also promotes a diverse genetic pool to prevent inbreeding, which can affect the animals’ survival,” he added. The viaduct is vital in wildlife conservation, especially as roadkills become more prevalent thanks to habitat loss. Among the victims most affected by this are tigers, elephants, wild boars and macaques.
Safeguarding the voiceless To increase the tiger population, WWF-Malaysia and Maybank have jointly worked on their Strengthening Tiger Conservation in the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex project since 20.