PETALING JAYA: A casual fishing outing for two men in Johor took a terrifying turn when they came face-to-face with a tiger.
One of the men recorded the incident and shared it on TikTok on September 13.
The video quickly went viral, drawing 2.9 million views by Monday (September 16).
Nazrie, 31, uploaded the clip showing his friend Azmir Mokeri, 35, watching as the tiger approached them slowly.
They remained composed, quietly observing as the tiger began to divert its attention to a bag on the forest floor, out of the camera's view.
In the video, Nazrie can be heard contemplating whether the tiger would pursue them as they retreat, while Azmir cautiously moves away.
"Take it easy, friend, we're waiting for help," Azmir advises, as the video shows them both perched on tree branches, nervously laughing.
The tiger eventually moved off into the distance and lay down with the bag, allowing them some relief.
Nazrie used the video as a cautionary tale for others, insisting on checking their surroundings before embarking on a fishing trip.
"We were just a few steps from the tiger and hope this is both the first and the last time we encounter one," he said.
Social media users commended the men for maintaining their composure during such a perilous situation.
Johor Wildlife Director Aminuddin Jamin took the incident as an opportunity to remind the public not to provoke wild animals and to be aware that animals tend to attack if they feel threatened.
@nazrie_iskandar alhamdulillah masih dipanjangkan lagi umur mat dan memeng... pengalaman seumur hidup tengah casting harimau datang berdepan... kepada kawan2 mat berhati-hatilah ketika berada di dalam hutan...kita hanya mampu merancang hanya tuhan menentukan...alhamdulillah ya allah
