SELAMA: A three-year-old male tiger was shot dead by a Rela member at Kampung Ulu Damaq in Sungai Bayor here yesterday.
Selama acting OCPD Asst Superintendent Ramli Mohammad said the tiger had been spotted several times in the village and that it had apparently killed poultry belonging to a villager.
He said in the 12.05pm incident, the tiger, weighing some 120kg, was believed to have strayed into the village, some 10km from the Bintang Hijau Forest Reserve to forage for food.
Spotting the tiger, the villager sought help from a friend, who is a Rela member, said ASP Ramli.
Armed with a shotgun, the Rela member killed the animal.
Perak Wildlife Protection and National Parks Department director Shabrina Mohd Shariff said a team had been sent to the village to investigate the incident.
“The villager claimed the tiger had killed his poultry,” she said.
She added that the carcass had been sent to the Wildlife Conservation Centre in Sungkai for preservation.
Shabrina said the villager should have called the department to set a a trap to catch the animal.
“We will not hesitate to recommend that the Rela member be charged if investigations find any wrongdoing,” she added.
This is the second tiger that was reportedly killed in the state this year.
In February, a tiger was caught in a wire snare and was killed by an orang asli at the Bukit Tapah Forest Reserve.