PHOTOS of what appear to be tiger footprints at a Felda settlement in Pengkalan Hulu, Gerik, have since gone viral on Facebook.
The pictures sparked a flurry of reactions and plenty of worry among social media users in the area.
So, were tiger tracks found near a Felda settlement in Gerik?
Verdict:
TRUE
Yes, the Perak Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) has confirmed the discovery of footprints believed to belong to a tiger at Felda Lepang Nenering in Pengkalan Hulu, Gerik, on Oct 26.
Perak Perhilitan director Dr Pazil Abdul Patah said the confirmation was made following an investigation and field inspection by the Gerik District Perhilitan Office.
This came after the office received a report from a plantation worker about the footprints on the same day.
"For now, Perhilitan has activated a tiger trap located less than a kilometre from where the footprints were found.
"We believe the tiger ventured close to the plantation and residential areas because Felda Lepang Nenering is located near the Bintang Hijau Permanent Forest Reserve," he told Bernama when contacted on Oct 27.
Dr Pazil also denied claims by some members of the public that reports of a tiger in the area had been made long ago without any action from Perhilitan.
"We did not receive any recent official report of a tiger sighting before Oct 26. Records show that the last report concerning the species at Felda Lepang Nenering was received on July 30," he said.
Perhilitan will continue monitoring the area and has also disseminated safety guidelines to plantation workers to prevent any untoward incidents, he added.
In a related development, Dr Pazil said 26 reports of human-tiger conflict had been recorded in the Hulu Perak district from January to date.
Appropriate action had been taken on all of them, he said.
Sources:
1. https://bernama.com/en/
