Malayan Tiger spotted near Sungai Relai Bridge in Gua Musang

A video circulating on social media yesterday showing a Malayan tiger near the Sungai Relai Bridge in Gua Musang, Kelantan has caught the attention of Malaysians — and wildlife authorities.

The Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) confirmed receiving a report about the sighting and moved quickly to investigate.

According to Perhilitan director-general Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim, investigations carried out by the Gua Musang district office found that the tiger was believed to have merely crossed the area before returning to its natural habitat.

“No sighting of the tiger was found during inspections, and no reports of disturbance to residents have been received previously,” he said in a statement today.

Abdul Kadir advised the public not to approach or disturb wildlife if encountered, and to immediately report such incidents via the Perhilitan hotline at 1-800-88-5151.

He added that Perhilitan would continue monitoring the area to ensure public safety and support ongoing conservation efforts for the Malayan tiger.

Why This Matters

The Malayan tiger is critically endangered. Only an estimated 150 remain in the wild — making every sighting both remarkable and a reminder of how precarious the species’ survival has become.

Malaysia’s national animal faces serious threats including poaching, habitat loss, and human-wildlife conflict as forests shrink and communities expand into tiger territory.

Sightings near Gua Musang — a gateway town to the Kelantan interior and edge of one of Malaysia’s oldest rainforests — indicate that tigers are still moving through these corridors. Conservation groups say maintaining these wildlife corridors is critical to the species’ long-term survival.

Where Tigers Still Roam

Three key landscapes remain the last strongholds for the wild Malayan tiger population:

Taman Negara National Park spans Pahang, Kelantan, and Terengganu. It serves as the primary stronghold and breeding ground for the wild population — and the Gua Musang sighting sits at its edge.

Belum-Temengor Forest Complex in Perak includes the Royal Belum State Park. Actively managed for conservation, it remains one of the most significant contiguous tiger habitats in the country.

Endau-Rompin Complex, straddling Johor and Pahang, is a recognised ASEAN Heritage Park and a vital refuge for tigers in the south.

This Is Not the First Recent Sighting

The Gua Musang sighting is part of a pattern of tigers appearing near human settlements in recent months.

In March 2026, villagers in Kampung Rahmat, Sri Lalang, Kluang, were urged to remain vigilant after a Malayan tiger was captured on video near a local plantation. Authorities believe the animal strayed from nearby forests in search of food. The following month, tiger tracks were detected in the same area, confirming the animal had continued moving through the plantation zone.

Together, these sightings across Kelantan and Johor suggest tigers are still pressing against the boundaries of human settlement — a sign of both their resilience and the shrinking space available to them.

What to Do If You Spot a Tiger

• Do not approach or attempt to photograph up close
• Do not run — move away slowly and calmly
• Keep children and pets close
• Report immediately to Perhilitan: 1-800-88-5151
• Contact the nearest police station

Perhilitan will continue monitoring the Sungai Relai area.