KLUANG: A farmer and his father were shocked after they spotted a tiger lurking behind bushes near their plantation in Kampung Rahmat here.
The sighting, which occurred on Sunday, has raised concerns among villagers.
The farmer, known only as Lai, 42, said they never expected a tiger to appear in the small patch of forest near the village.
“The tiger could pose a threat to residents as well as livestock kept by villagers,” he said.
Lai said the tiger may have strayed into the village or could have been searching for food.
“The forest here is quite small and not really suitable for a predator like a tiger,” he added.
He said they spotted the tiger when he left the plantation with his father and a police officer.
According to him, the officer had accompanied them in a four-wheel-drive vehicle to investigate theft at his plantation.
Lai said they initially thought the animal was a replica placed there to scare wildlife.
However, after observing it more closely from their vehicle, they realised it was a real tiger.
Lai said he immediately informed Kampung Rahmat village chief, Salim Darman, so residents could be aware of the danger.
Salim said they have reported the sighting to the police and the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan).
Johor Perhilitan director Aminuddin Jamin said the department has begun investigations following reports of a tiger sighting.
He said the department’s checks found the complaint credible.
However, Aminuddin said there were no records of tiger sightings in the area previously and that it could have strayed into the area.
Aminuddin added that Perhilitan have installed camera traps to monitor the situation.
