When Dr Wan Nor Fitri Wan Jaafar first opened a textbook on elephant reproduction as a veterinary student at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), he had no idea that a classroom assignment would shape his life’s calling.
“I later learned how humans can live alongside elephants. Before long, I was in the forests of Gerik, Perak, tracking a radio-collared wild elephant,” he says with a laugh.
That early fascination has since evolved into a groundbreaking career at the crossroads of wildlife reproduction, conservation and biotechnology.
Today, Dr Wan Nor Fitri is at the forefront of reproductive technologies that could help save Malaysia’s most endangered species — including the Malayan tiger and the now locally extinct Bornean rhinoceros.
To the public, he simplifies his role: “I’m like a gynaecologist for animals. If a tiger, rhino, cow or even a house cat can’t conceive, they come to me.”
A senior lecturer at UPM’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, he also conducts international research at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in New York under renowned theriogenologist Associate Professor Dr Cheong Soon Hon.
Cloning may sound like the premise of Jurassic Park, but Dr Wan Nor Fitri says modern advancements are far from fiction.
“We’re nowhere near bringing back dinosaurs, but reviving recently extinct species is no longer fantasy,” he notes.
He points to successful efforts abroad, including the revival of the black-footed ferret using cryopreserved cells and ongoing attempts to clone dire wolves and woolly mammoths.
His own field, Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), uses methods like artificial insemination, IVF and embryo transfer to preserve genetic diversity when natural breeding alone is insufficient.
“ART gives nature a second chance,” he explains. “When populations are tiny or isolated — like the Malayan tiger — these tools can sustain life where nature struggles.”
But he stresses one point: “Cloning or ART doesn’t replace conservation. We still need healthy habitats, anti-poaching efforts and disease management. ART is simply an insurance policy.”
During a research stint at Cornell, he witnessed how frozen oocytes — sometimes shipped across continents — can become the foundation of a species’ future.
“Seeing embryos created in a lab reminded me that saving wildlife isn’t about miracles. It’s about science, teamwork and perseverance.”
Among his proudest milestones was helping clone Twilight, the world’s first horse with a fully sequenced genome.
“It felt like stepping into the frontier of science,” he says. “These tools hold real potential for our Malayan tiger.”
Beyond the lab, Dr Wan Nor Fitri has logged countless hours in Malaysia’s forests and wildlife centres.
One moment stays with him: helping assess a tigress at the National Wildlife Rescue Centre.
“When we returned her to her den before reversing the anaesthesia, I checked her breathing. For a moment, it was just the two of us,” he recalls.
“She recovered well, but months later we learned she had died. It reminded me how fragile life is — and why this work matters.”
That fragility fuels his drive.
“Emotion is fuel,” he says. “Loss and success both push you forward. Every tiger and every embryo is a step toward hope.”
Malaysia, he warns, is losing species faster than it can document them.
“If we don’t act now, our children may only see tigers, rhinos and hornbills in photographs,” he says.
For him, the Malayan tiger symbolises both the crisis and the hope of conservation.
“Saving the tiger means saving forests, rivers, and all the species that depend on them. It’s a symbol of our resilience.”
A recipient of the 2021 Merdeka Award for Outstanding Contribution to Environment and Planetary Health, he continues to push for public involvement in conservation.
His message: “Support national parks. Report wildlife crime. Teach children to love nature. Conservation isn’t just for scientists — it’s for everyone.”
To young Malaysians, he offers encouragement born of experience.
“Go into the forest. Feel it. Science is alive out there. Stay curious, embrace failure, and remember that every action counts.”
“Conservation is love in action. Love is giving a tiger the space to live. Hope is built through science and fieldwork. Be bold, stay curious, and fall in love with the wild.”
