True or Not: Tiger seen along East Coast Highway

A picture of the tiger resting taken from the highway. Bernamapix

KUALA TERENGGANU: The Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) confirmed that it had received a report on the presence of a tiger along the East Coast Highway Phase 2 (LPT2) near Bukit Besi.

However, whether the tiger was actually there as was reported on social media could not be confirmed.

As a first step, the department would set up a trap for the animal and did not rule out the possibility of its presence in the area after its natural habitat was flooded due to heavy rains and overflowing rivers.

"Thus far we have received a report about 7.30pm on Wednesday in connection with the discovery of a tiger in the area near the highway ... so we took the first step, by setting up a trap this morning," Perhilitan director Mohd Hasdi Husin said.

"It is a precautionary measure to prevent any untoward incident. However, we do not know to what extent the authenticity of the animal sighting," he said.

A tiger was reported to have appeared along the LPT2 and images recorded by certain individuals became viral. - Bernama