In a timespan of less than 48 hours, two foreign nationals have fallen victim to tiger attacks in Gua Musang, Kelantan.
Following the death of an Indonesian man reportedly earlier, a 22-year-old foreign worker from Myanmar was also found dead after a tiger attack.
The latest incident occurred in a private rubber plantation in Meranto, Gua Musang, marking a disturbing increase in wildlife conflicts in the region.
Fatal bite in the head
China Press reported that Gua Musang Police Chief, Superintendent Sik Choon Foo the attack took place yesterday afternoon at 1:30 PM.
He announced today that the autopsy report of the deceased has been completed and The victim was attacked by a tiger, and the fatal injury was a bite wound to the head.
He mentioned that when the victim was attacked by the tiger from behind, his wife and three other Burmese workers were also in the plantation cutting rubber.
“Fortunately, the victim’s wife and the other three were not attacked. They sought help from a nearby Chinese person, who immediately transported the victim to the hospital.”
He said that the police are treating the case as a sudden death. Meanwhile, the National Parks and Wildlife Protection Bureau has set up bait traps at the site of the incident to capture the roaming tiger.
PERHILITAN In Action
According to Kosmo!, the Director of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) in Kelantan, Mohamad Hafid Rohani, confirmed that the two attacks happened within a 10-kilometer radius.
He added that, according to the wildlife conflict complaint records, Perhilitan Gua Musang did not receive any complaints from the private rubber plantation in Meranto after the first incident.
“The estimated distance from Gua Musang town to the rubber plantation is about 50 km, and it takes between one to two hours to reach the location by four-wheel drive,” he said.
Mohamad Hafid informed that, according to Perhilitan records, there have been five cases of injuries and deaths involving tiger attacks in Gua Musang since July 5, 2021, until yesterday.
He mentioned that Perhilitan has taken proactive steps by setting up tiger traps and camera traps in areas identified as tiger roaming locations.
“Plantation and private workers are advised not to work alone and always work in groups, and not to provoke any wildlife,” he said.
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