The journey begin with a dream in 2019 to bid for the prestigious Merdeka Award Grant for International Attachment to work in stem cell and cloning of our recently demised Sumatran Rhino. But Allah is great, He has better plan for us and have always will, I was awarded the grant in 2021 instead to work for the Malayan tiger.
I always believed that it is never too late, but we must act swiftly, and act now for the Malayan tiger.
Since then, we have established important fundamentals in the reproductive biology of the Malayan tiger:
1. Maisyarah Abu Samah, Wan Nor Fitri, Faez Firdaus Jesse Abdullah, Azlan Che' Amat, Hartini Ithnin, Zubaidah Kamarudin, Mala Agai & Nik Zamani (2020). Reproductive Performance of Female Captive Malayan Tiger, (Panthera tigris jacksoni). Final Year Dissertation, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Universiti Putra Malaysia.
2. Nimallan Balakrishnan, Wan Nor Fitri, Tengku Rinalfi Putra, Hartini Ithnin & Mohammad Khairi Ahmad (2022). Sexual Behaviour during breeding periods in Malayan tiger at the Malayan Tiger Conservation Centre, Lanchang, Pahang. Final Year Dissertation, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Universiti Putra Malaysia.
The Merdeka Award Grant for International Attachment 2021
Dr Wan Nor Fitri Bin Wan Jaafar
Stem cell and cloning in wildlife reproduction
3 months research attachment period in the University of Cornell
January 2023-April 2023
An opportunity made possible by the Merdeka Award Board of Trustees - Petronas, Shell, Exxon Mobil.
Special thanks to Universiti Putra Malaysia and Department of Wildlife and National Park (DWNP) for the support.
photo by Haida
photo by Fahmi Mahsuri
En Nik Zamani is the tiger-man on site
Awang Besul died due to Canine Distemper Virus
