Tiger still at large, Felda Ulu Tebrau residents worry for safety

JOHOR BAHRU: Residents of Felda Ulu Tebrau near here are worried for their safety following the threat of a tiger still believed to be roaming in the area.

A resident of the village, Mohd Fadzil Mohd Kassim, 56, claimed that workers in farms and palm oil plantations had to limit their time outdoors for fear of the beast.

"The workers have been advised to go out in large groups and not alone.. for now, there are certain limitations imposed.

"Previously, we used to work until the evening..but now we have limited it to only till noon," he said when contacted by Bernama on Tuesday (May 2).

Mohd Fadzil hoped that the animal would be caught soon because the residents' source of income was affected due to the limited working hours.

The village’s chief Ab Jalil Sahlan, 70, also hoped that immediate action could be taken by the responsible party before any untoward incident occurred.

According to him, the Department of Wildlife Protection and National Parks (Perhilitan) had confirmed that the footprints found in the oil palm plantation in Felda were tiger prints and would install cameras and traps to catch the big cat.

"We just hope that Perhilitan can install traps and cameras immediately and help the residents deal with the problem as soon as possible," he said.

Recently, several photos on the discovery of cow carcasses and the footprints of a wild animal believed to be a tiger at an oil palm plantation had gone viral.

Meanwhile, Justice for Wildlife Malaysia (JWM) founder and director Dr Nor Arlina Amirah Ahmad Ghani when contacted said, tiger attacks often occurred at dawn or in the evenings and sometimes, even in the afternoon.

"People must take care of their livestock in conflict areas and must always be vigilant if living in an area close to a tiger's habitat.

"If (the livestock) are already locked up, make sure there is only a little gap at the bottom of the gate or fence because the tiger does not jump over, but will sneak under it," she said.

Nor Arlina said in case of an encounter with a tiger, one should not turn his or her back to the tiger but rather back away slowly while looking at the animal.

"Once there is some distance from the tiger, then run, and if possible, climb a tree as high up as possible," she said. - Bernama