Malaysia: Tiger on the prowl

Farik Zolkepli The Star 31 May 11;

MARANG: Two villages here are facing huge problems due to their livestock being killed.

Residents of Felda Rantau Abang and Kampung Gong Che Lah are living in fear of a tiger which is prowling in their neighbourhood.

Cattle herder Sidak Amad Besar, 50, from Felda Rantau Abang said 15 of his cows were missing since last Wednesday.

Initially, Sidak thought that someone had stolen his livestock, but he later discovered that the disappearance of the cattle was the work of a tiger.

“I discovered the carcass of my cows on Saturday and based on the marks on their bodies, the wound were inflicted by a large predatory animal.”

Sidak added that he chanced on an encounter with the tiger which was seen devouring one of his cows.

“I finally witnessed the action of the animal that has caused me a huge loss,” he said and added that he was lucky to leave the scene unharmed.

Apart from Sidak, some villagers in the nearby Kampung Gong Che Lah had also suffered the same fate.

“They were complaining of more than three cows missing since last week.

“I thought the tiger was only prowling around my village, but after hearing the same tales from villagers in Kampung Gong Che Lah, this is becoming a widespread issue,” he said.

Farmer Abdul Razak Omar, 74, said he spotted the tiger roaming around his farm and destroying his crops.

“I got the shock of my life when I saw the huge animal.

“It was so big, I didn’t think twice and bolted,” he said.

Another villager Mohd Zaharudin Husin, 41, said other residents have also sighted the tiger and urged the Wildlife Department to take action before anyone gets hurt.

“I hope the authorities can catch this animal before it attacks us,” he said.

Cows killed by one tiger, says dept
New Straits Times 30 May 11;

KUALA TERENGGANU: Terengganu Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) said the attacks on villagers' cows in Felda Rantau Abang in Dungun was the work of a lone and injured tiger.

Its director, Yusoff Shariff, said the tiger could have started preying on the cows as it could not hunt.

He said there were also complaints of cows being attacked in nearby Kampung Jambu Bongkok, and he believed it could be the work of the same animal.

Although the villagers claimed there were more than one tiger after discovering paw prints of different sizes, Yusoff said checks showed there was only one tiger involved.

"We believed the tiger could have been injured either from a gunshot or a hunter's trap.

"The two settlements are located next to each other and are within the animal's hunting range. We have set up traps at both locations."

Yesterday, the New Sunday Times reported that villagers around Felda Rantau Abang were scared to go outdoors after dark following the attacks on their cows.