Here's why:
* Difficult to count: Tigers are elusive and live in dense forests, making accurate counts extremely challenging.
* Population fluctuations: Tiger numbers can fluctuate due to factors like poaching, habitat loss, and prey availability.
* Varying estimates: Different conservation organizations and research groups may have differing estimates based on their methodologies and data sources.
However, what we do know:
* Endangered status: The Malayan tiger is critically endangered, with a very small and fragmented population.
* Estimates range: Some estimates place the total number of tigers in Malaysia in the low hundreds.
* Decline over time: The population has declined significantly over the past decades due to threats such as habitat loss and poaching.
Conservation efforts are vital:
* The Malaysian government and conservation organizations are working tirelessly to protect remaining tiger populations through habitat restoration, anti-poaching efforts, and community engagement.
* Continued monitoring and research are essential to understand the population dynamics and inform conservation strategies.
It's crucial to remember that even estimates are subject to change, and the number of tigers remaining in Malaysia could be even lower than current figures suggest.