Malayan tiger killed by trailer on highway

IPOH: A Malayan tiger, a critically endangered species, was found dead near the Gua Tempurung rest area of the North-South Expressway.

A viral video showed the tiger lying motionless at the divider of the expressway.

Perak science, environment and green technology committee chairman Teh Kok Lim said the incident occurred at about 12.30am yesterday.

He said the male tiger, between eight and 10 years old, was believed to have been knocked down by a trailer based on investigations by Wildlife and National Parks Department personnel.

“The carcass of the tiger has been brought to the National Wildlife Rescue Centre in Sungkai for the next course of action.

“The department believes this was the same tiger attacking livestock and creating fear among residents in Kampar,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Teh said department officials informed him that because of the sudden reduction of wild boars due to the African Swine Fever outbreak – based on the department’s observations, as well as those from NGOs including World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia from camera traps –tigers had been roaming the edges of the jungle near villages.

“Cows have been grazing at oil palm estates at the edge of the jungle, and tigers find them easy targets,” he said.

The decreasing wild boar population and access to livestock prey meant there was very little chance tigers would return to the deep jungle, added Teh.

He said studies would continue to identify the root cause of tiger migration and to determine measures that could be taken.

There is only an estimated 150 Malayan tigers left in the wild.