The story began in the jungle , with a doctor of entomology , Marta Skowron Volponi , and a filmmaker , Paolo Volponi , who was filming Marta carrying out her unique research on rare clearwing moths and bees and wasps , which they ( moths ) imitate . Through their novel work , the couple provided scientific evidence that clearwing moths mimic the flight of bees they visually imitate , proving the existence of locomotor ( i . e . flight ) mimicry .

During one of their expeditions , they encountered the devastating problem of tiger poaching in the Royal Belum State Park .

WWF Malaysia ’ s report

According to WWF Malaysia ’ s report from 2019 , fewer than 150 tigers are left , although in the 1950s , more than 3,000 tigers were roaming free in the Malaysian forests , and only 10 years ago , there were 500 !

Poaching is the leading cause of tiger disappearance . In Malaysia , Paolo and Marta met people who dedicated their lives to protecting the Malayan tiger . Mazlan , a ranger from the Royal Belum State Park , is one of them .

He explained to the couple that snares set by poachers and targeted at tigers often capture and kill other animals . The brutality of poachers has no boundaries ; they are oblivious to animals ’ pain and suffering . It usually

takes days of agony before an animal trapped in a snare dies .

Mazlan , who witnessed this with his own eyes , will share his experience in the documentary .

Marta and Paolo could not ignore these serious issues : the devastation of Malaysia ’ s native fauna and the risk that the last Malayan Tiger might disappear forever .

The couple decided to produce , under the umbrella of the Clearwing Foundation for Biodiversity , an NGO based in Poland which they run together , a documentary film that combines science , investigation , and nature filmmaking .

In the documentary , they will reveal who is on the frontline of the battle being fought in the Malaysian rainforest to save the last tigers .

“ We would like people to understand that preserving biodiversity is crucial and how much we will lose along with the decline of rainforest species richness ,” says Marta .

Pandemic

Unfortunately , the pandemic forced them to remain patient and wait for the Malaysian borders to open up again . Marta and Paolo are based in Gerik , Perak , and have started shooting the film .

You can follow the joys , struggles , and work progress behind the documentary film ’ s scenes on their social media . If you want to know more about the

www . instagram . com / the . tiger . spirit

https :// www . facebook . com

https :// clearwingfound . com

science involved , check out their website and go to the Science section , where you can find Marta ’ s latest articles about mimicry , clearwing moths , and more !

The film is co-produced by Plantzania ( a Malaysian organisation focused on ecological education ) and the Perak State Parks Corporation ( which manages the Royal Belum State Park where the film is staged ).

The project is partially funded by the Polish Film Institute and supported by a photography equipment store based in Warsaw , Poland - Interfoto .

Marta is a biologist from the University of Bialystok , Poland , who fell in love with the Malaysian rainforest and its rich biodiversity when , as a teenager , she visited Malaysia for the first time .

As a scientist , she then focused on studying the behaviour of clearwing moths , which can sometimes be spotted near tigers ’ paw prints .

Paolo is a talented filmmaker specialising in the often contrasting relationship between people and nature . His documentary films are distributed worldwide . He started as a photographer for many prestigious magazines , including National Geographic Poland , Oasis , BBC Magazine , and Airone .

ClearWing Foundation for Biodiversity wants to spread awareness about how important for it is for our survival to conserve complex , biodiverse networks of species , from tiny moths to apex predators such as tigers . — @ Forest

Paulina Ziomkowska is a Polish traveller at heart , a nature admirer , studied brain . Currently a team member of ClearWing Foundation for Biodiversity . She loves books , oceans , and mountains . She ’ s excited about The Tiger Spirit project .