Negri local councils must step up handling of stray cattle, says exco man

SEREMBAN: Local councils in Negri Sembilan have been told to be more aggressive in catching stray cattle in areas under their jurisdiction, says state local government development committee chairman J. Arul Kumar.

Arul, who also holds the housing and transport portfolios, said this was important as the number of road accidents caused by stray animals, especially livestock, exceeded 1,000 cases a year from 2019 to 2023.

"I have told all local councils to be more aggressive as the number of traffic accidents attributed to stray animals, especially cows and buffaloes, was high.

"Once the livestock is captured, owners have seven days to pay a fine of RM2,000 to claim their animals before they are auctioned," he said here on Thursday (May 9).

The fine is not to penalise the owners but to educate them to not allow their livestock to roam freely, he added.

He said 5,291 road accidents caused by stray animals, including livestock, were reported in the state between 2019 and last year.

Thirty-one people were killed, 62 suffered severe injuries, while 187 others sustained light injuries during that period.

Four motorists were killed last year in such accidents, he said. Deaths in the other years from accidents attributed to stray animals were eight in 2022, 10 in 2021, five in 2020 and four in 2019.

Arul said in the first four months of this year alone, the Seremban City Council caught eight cows in Senawang Perdana, Rasah Jaya and Laman Sendayan.

He said there had been no further reports of stray cattle in these public places since then.