Tell Ranger Firdaus you care, send a postcard today!
Ranger Firdaus, Belum Royal State Park, Malaysia
Firdaus, 20, became a ranger at Royal Belum State Park when he was 18 years old. He counts himself lucky to have been given the job.
The numbers 117,550 are stuck in his head; they refer to the area of Belum in hectares.
Poachers, he says, come from the surrounding areas, including Thailand. The park is part of the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex, which borders southern Thailand, and is an important tiger habitat.
Only one was caught and he had an axe and was using it to resist arrest. While poachers nowadays carry arms, the rangers do not.
7 rangers, 117,550 hectares
He goes on patrol three times a week. Patrolling is a challenge in an area the size of Belum and with only 7 rangers.The numbers 117,550 are stuck in his head; they refer to the area of Belum in hectares.
Poachers, he says, come from the surrounding areas, including Thailand. The park is part of the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex, which borders southern Thailand, and is an important tiger habitat.
Fighting axes and guns
“Ours is a dangerous job,” he said, recounting an incident when they tried to apprehend five poachers, all Thai natives.Only one was caught and he had an axe and was using it to resist arrest. While poachers nowadays carry arms, the rangers do not.
FIRDAUS WOULD LOVE A POSTCARD FROM YOU!
The rangers have limited access to the internet, so a postcard is preferred over an e-card. Thank you.
MAIL A POSTCARD
Buy or make a card and mail it to:
Muhamad Suzatul Firdaus Mohd Saad
Rangers of Royal Belum State Park
c/o WWF-Malaysia
49, Jalan SS23/15, Taman SEA 47400
Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Malaysia
c/o WWF-Malaysia
49, Jalan SS23/15, Taman SEA 47400
Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Malaysia
In such [dangerous] situations, we have to be smart to outdo the poachers, and all the while looking out for our own safety.
