A globally endangered Malayan tapir first spotted in Pulau Ubin in May could still be roaming the island’s forested rubber plantations and fruit orchards.
The animal was first detected on May 27 by camera traps at about 8.30pm in the eastern part of Ubin, according to a Nature in Singapore journal record published on Nov 29.
This marks Singapore’s first photographic evidence in 2024 of a Malayan tapir, which is considered non-native for the island-state.
The nocturnal creature was caught by camera traps again in the night and wee hours of the morning on several occasions between July and August, which showed it feeding on fallen fruit and tree branches in western Pulau Ubin.
The tapir was last recorded on Aug 12 moving through forest after midnight in the west of Pulau Ubin. — The Straits Times/ANN
