Perak Perhilitan: Malayan tigers will only be captured if they threaten public safety

IPOH, Oct 7 — The Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) will only capture or translocate Malayan tigers if an assessment finds that their presence poses a threat to public safety.

Perak Perhilitan director Dr Pazil Abdul Patah said the assessment takes into account the tiger’s behaviour, frequency and duration of sightings, distance from residential areas, movement patterns, and evidence of interactions or attacks involving humans or livestock.

“If the assessment shows a clear and continuing threat to human safety, Perhilitan will take appropriate action based on technical assessments in the field,” he told Bernama.

Five tiger sightings or incidents have been recorded in Perak from January to October this year, beginning with a report of a roar in Proton City, Tanjung Malim on January 10, followed by an image captured in Bukit Bangkong, Chemor on July 14 and the capture of a tigress in Hulu Kinta on July 22.

This was followed by a fatal attack in Pos Perwor, Sungai Siput on September 21 and the discovery of tiger footprints at Kem Sultan Nazrin Shah, 69 Komando, Ulu Kinta on September 29.

Pazil said tiger sightings near human settlements did not necessarily mean that their forest habitat or roaming areas were shrinking, as movements could also be influenced by prey availability, habitat conditions, human disturbance, development and land use, as well as the animals’ natural movements.

“In some situations, tigers may move through forest edges or ecological corridors within their home range and be detected near human settlements by chance,” he said.

He said Perhilitan continuously monitored prey species such as barking deer, deer and wild boar in the state’s main forest reserves, with camera traps, field surveys and population data used to assess prey availability.

Pazil said complaints about tiger sightings were assessed based on the location, time, physical evidence and current situation to determine the priority and appropriate deployment of personnel, with control teams sent to the field when there was a risk to public safety.

He said besides physical measures such as setting traps, Perhilitan also provided technical advice and safety guidance, including advising residents in high-risk areas to avoid going out alone in the early morning or late evening, refrain from provoking tigers and leave the handling of such cases to the department. — Bernama