Following weeks of rehabilitation, a Malayan tiger is back where she belongs.
Yong Choh, a female estimated to be 7 years old, was rescued in July in Perak, Malaysia, after a conflict with people and taken to the National Wildlife Rescue Centre in Sungkai for rehabilitation and veterinary care.
In August, Malaysia’s natural resources minister said she had the aggression needed to survive on her own, and veterinary exams, blood tests, and disease screening confirmed she was also healthy enough for release.
She was then freed at Terengganu National Park in Tasik Kenyir in early September, becoming the center’s first Malayan tiger returned to the wild. In the release footage, Yong Choh can be seen making her way through the grass toward the forest.
Malayan tigers are critically endangered, pushed toward extinction by threats such as poaching and the illegal wildlife trade. In fact, a national survey conducted from 2016 to 2020 estimated fewer than 150 remained in the wild.
Malaysia’s natural resources ministry says releases like Yong Choh’s can help restore wild populations and strengthen genetic diversity, supporting the species’ long-term survival.
Lady Freethinker celebrates Yong Choh’s return to her natural habitat and thanks the wildlife teams and veterinarians who helped care for her.
