The Star 23 Feb 12;
MALACCA: An injured Malayan tapir which was rescued earlier this month died due to a virus infection.
It is learnt that the tapir died at the Malacca Zoo shortly after it was rescued on Feb 1.
A source said the tapir could have also suffered depression after it strayed from its natural habitat at Asahan Forest Reserve, some 40km away from where it was rescued.
The 200kg male tapir, found with its left hind leg severed, was rescued after it caused panic among 300 villagers in Bukit Katil.
State Wildlife and National Park rangers took several hours to rescue the tapir.
The source said an autopsy found virus infection in several vital organs of the tapir.
“The infection could have spread due to the injury and caused several of the organs to fail,” the source said.
The Star had earlier reported that the injured tapir could have been the victim of hunters who wanted its meat.
State Housing, Local Government and Envi-ronment Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Yunos Husin said unlicensed hunters were often seen entering the secondary jungle surrounding the Kampung Tun Abdul Razak village in search of the endangered species.
