Community Module Introduced By Perhilitan To Tackle Human-wildlife Conflict In Johor - Exco

ISKANDAR PUTERI, Nov 20 (Bernama) -- The Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) has developed the Community Module for Wildlife Protection to provide guidance and knowledge on skills and safety procedures for local communities in handling human-wildlife conflict issues in Johor, the Johor State Assembly was told today.

State Environment and Health Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said the module covers an introduction to key wildlife species, the use of approved deterrent tools, and reporting and early warning protocols to Perhilitan.

He said that through the module, communities would be trained and organised into groups by specific areas, acting as support teams in the field to assist with community patrols.

“In addition, communities are trained to relay information promptly and carry out early deterrent actions in accordance with Perhilitan’s standard operating procedures (SOP),” he said.

He was responding to a question from Hahasrin Hashim (BN-Panti) regarding the state government’s plans for using drones and night patrols in wildlife conflict areas for early detection, as well as community warning SOPs.

Ling (BN-Yong Peng) explained that the implementation of the module is expected to have a positive impact in enhancing preparedness and awareness among communities in high-risk wildlife conflict areas, particularly in Johor.

He added that the effort aligns with a collaborative management approach between government agencies and the community to ensure a balance between human safety and the country’s biodiversity sustainability.

“Through this initiative, Perhilitan is confident that early detection, community warnings and responses to wildlife conflicts can be comprehensively improved,” he said.

He noted that the effort is in line with the state government’s goal to strengthen the sustainable and effective management of human-wildlife conflicts.

-- BERNAMA