Man on hunting trip mistakes friend for civet cat, shoots him dead

SIBU: A 31-year -old man has been arrested, after he allegedly shot his friend to death during a hunting trip in Sungai Jelai Tatau on Saturday (Nov 23) night.

Tatau OCPD Deputy Supt Dennis Bunyam said on Monday (Nov 25) that in the 10.30pm incident on Saturday, the suspect had mistaken his 30-year-old friend for a civet cat and fired a shot that killed him.

The victim, Ricky Limbing, was from Rumah Das, Sungai Kelawit, Tatau.

According to DSP Bunyam, the duo had gone hunting for wild animals in the forest.

"They had stopped at a river bank and split up to look for prey," he said.

The suspect, he said, went inland while the victim was still on the boat, which he rowed down river.

"Our investigations revealed the suspect thought that the victim was a civet cat and immediately fired his shotgun," he said.

He was shocked to find that the animal was instead his friend and rushed him to Tatau Clinic. However, the victim had succumbed to serious injuries.

The police arrested the suspect and also seized a shotgun and a shotgun shell under Section 302 of the Penal Code and Section 8 of the Firearms (increased penalties) Act 1971 for investigation.