Slappendel, who has journeyed across 24 countries with tiger populations, speaking to hundreds of journalists, experts, conservationists and officials in the process, said tigers in Malaysia needed people to demand for greater conservation efforts.

“In Malaysia, the tiger is inseparable from its identity.”

He noted that the Malayan Tiger was present in sports logos, Malaysia’s official coat of arms, the police emblem and more.

Despite all the significance attached to the tigers, the Netherlands-based Slappendel said not many Malaysians knew what was happening with tigers in the country.

He said if more people knew what was happening, they could speak up for the tigers.

“Sadly, it is human nature to be like sheep – we need to be led.

“This is why the Malayan Tiger needs many heroes.

“They can be politicians, footballers, actors and other community leaders. They can be the spokespersons for tigers.”

Slappendel said this was crucial because the small NGOs, which were active on the ground and pushing for greater conservation, could not stand up to the government alone.

He also said the creative industry, from media companies to social media companies, should play a greater role in raising awareness on the tiger situation in Malaysia.

Tiger Trail aims to raise awareness over the issues and threats facing tigers, which stemmed from Slappendel’s journey across the 24 countries.

Last year, the Malayan Tiger was officially listed as Critically Endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

There are an estimated 250 to 340 tigers left in the wild in Peninsular Malaysia.

This is a drastic decrease as just seven years ago, there were an estimated 500 tigers.

Previously, the Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (MYCAT) had called for a high-level national task force to plan and manage the recovery of wild tigers.

Much of the blame for the tiger’s declining population has been placed on poaching and destruction of their natural habitats.