Yalinie Mathan
The Perak Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) has confirmed Gerik tiger footprints on a farm, Bernama reported. Perhilitan staff found them on 14 October.
The farm lies about two kilometres from the Bintang Hijau Forest Reserve. Perhilitan has urged people nearby to stay alert and keep their livestock secure.
So what did Perhilitan confirm, what should residents do and what is still unknown?
What Perhilitan confirmed
Perhilitan said the footprints are those of a Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni). The prints were found on a farm near Jalan Air Betang and Jalan Kampung Air Panas.
Perak Perhilitan director Dr Pazil Abdul Patah said district staff from Gerik found the prints during an inspection. He gave the update in a statement to Bernama on Monday, 19 October.
“Initial field investigations indicate that the report is credible,” he said. In short, the prints were indeed those of a Malayan tiger.
He said the orchard is about two kilometres from the Bintang Hijau Forest Reserve.
Photos of the footprints went viral on social media on 14 October. They also caused concern among local residents, the report said.
However, the report does not say whether anyone has seen the tiger itself. It also does not say how many animals may be involved.
What residents are told to do
Pazil said Perhilitan is taking several steps. It will keep taking them to keep residents safe from tiger attacks.
His team is making regular inspections of the area where the prints were found. In addition, it is asking residents and farmers nearby for details.
He urged residents to stay alert. They should not go out alone in the early morning, late evening or at night.
Farmers should also keep their livestock in secure enclosures, he said.
Above all, the public should not provoke, approach or try to track the animal. Anyone who spots it should tell Perhilitan at once through its official complaint channels.
However, the report names no hotline or number. Readers in the area should check Perhilitan Perak’s official channels for the right contact.
Tiger sightings in Perak this year
Gerik is not the first tiger report in Perak this year. Bernama Radio reported on 7 October that Perhilitan Perak recorded five tiger presences from January to October.
They include images at Bukit Bangkong, Chemor, on 14 July. Then came a female tiger caught in Hulu Kinta on 22 July.
The most recent before Gerik were footprints at Ulu Kinta on 29 September. They were near the Kem Sultan Nazrin Shah 69 Komando camp, Sinar Harian reported on 30 September.
Perhilitan Perak confirmed those prints after a public complaint. It said it would keep watching the area.
The Bernama Radio report also listed a fatal attack at Pos Perwor, Sungai Siput, on 21 September. This article does not cover that case.
When Perhilitan captures or moves a tiger
Pazil said Perhilitan will capture or move a tiger only if an assessment shows a real, lasting threat to people.
The department looks at the tiger’s behaviour and how often it appears. It also checks how long it stays and how close it comes to homes.
Its movements count too, he said, as do any attacks on people or livestock. Capture is therefore not automatic.
If the check shows a real and continuing threat, Perhilitan will act, Pazil said. The action will follow its field check.
In Ulu Kinta, a trap had been set more than a month before the footprints appeared. Sinar Harian reported it stood about 1.35km from the spot.
So far, the Gerik report does not say whether this case meets that test. It does not say whether a trap has been set.
Meanwhile, CJ.MY will update this story if Perhilitan shares more.
Sashidaran Gunathevan
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