JOHOR BARU: The tigers that went viral on social media in two separate videos recently could be the same big cat, says the Johor Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan).
“We have reasons to believe the tigers that were captured in two viral videos could be the same animal. In fact, this is not the first time the same tiger was caught on camera.
“A couple of years ago, the same tiger was spotted crossing Jalan Jemaluang,” state Perhilitan director Aminuddin Jamin said when contacted yesterday.
Following the two viral videos, Perhilitan deployed a team to Mersing to ensure the safety of the public and the animal.
“We sent a team to track down the tiger to make sure it does not enter human settlements as the second video showed that it was near an Orang Asli village.
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“The department has alerted the Orang Asli of a potential tiger threat,” he said.
“As it is currently a school holiday period, the public should refrain from entering the forest reserve area since it’s the tiger’s natural habitat. For their own safety, people should not go there for camping or fishing. We are working closely with other enforcement agencies, including the police, under Operasi Bersepadu Khazanah to protect tigers from poachers,” he added.
On Sept 12, two friends experienced a terrifying moment when they came face to face with a tiger while fishing in the forest in Felda Nitar 1, Mersing.
In the first video, two men were fishing along the river when one of them encountered the tiger while trying to retrieve his bag a few metres behind him. One of them recited prayers and both then started to retreat slowly. They climbed up a tree while the tiger made off with the bag.
On Sept 15, a car driver recorded a short clip of a tiger crossing Jalan Jemaluang in broad daylight before running into the forest.
