Yalinie Mathan
Tiger footprints have been found at Felda Lepang Nenering in Pengkalan Hulu, Gerik, Perak. A plantation worker reported them on Monday, 26 October. Perhilitan has since set a trap nearby.
Perak Perhilitan director Dr Pazil Abdul Patah said the Gerik district office confirmed the footprints after a field inspection. It is the second case in Gerik this month.
Here is what officers found, why tigers keep turning up in Hulu Perak and what residents should do.
What tiger footprints Perhilitan found
A plantation worker reported the prints on Monday. Officers from the Gerik district office then investigated and inspected the site.
Pazil said the trap was activated less than a kilometre from where the footprints were found. Officers will keep monitoring the area.
The last tiger report at this site came on 30 July, he said. That is about three months ago.
Officers have not yet said where the animal is now. However, the report does not say whether anyone has seen it. It also does not say how many tigers may be involved.
The report did not say whether the trap has caught anything. Pazil gave no timeline for how long it will stay.
Perhilitan gave safety guidelines to plantation workers in the area. Workers should follow them while the trap stays in place.
Why tigers keep appearing in Hulu Perak
Pazil said the tiger probably came close because the settlement lies near the Bintang Hijau Permanent Forest Reserve.
The tiger footprints at Felda Lepang Nenering add to a busy year. Hulu Perak recorded 26 human-tiger conflict reports from January to date, he said. The report did not break the figure down.
Earlier this month, officers confirmed prints on a farm near Jalan Air Betang. That farm lies about two kilometres from the same reserve.
On 7 October, Pazil also set out Perak’s capture policy. Officers will capture or move a tiger only if the threat is clear and continuing.
He added that sightings near settlements do not always mean the forest is shrinking. Prey supply, habitat and land use all play a part.
In short, officers are treating the case as credible. The trap is one step to keep people in the area safe.
Elsewhere, Perhilitan set camera traps after photos of a tiger near Fraser’s Hill. Tigers have also been photographed outside Perak.
What residents and workers should do
The latest report gave no advice for residents. In the earlier Gerik case, however, Pazil urged people to stay alert.
He asked residents not to go out alone in the early morning, late evening or at night. Farmers should keep livestock in secure enclosures.
Do not provoke a tiger if you see one. Leave the handling to Perhilitan, he said.
Officers also asked nearby residents and farmers to share any details they have. Such details help the team track the animal.
Budget 2027 sets aside RM65 million for 2,500 community rangers. They could help the department watch settlements near forest edges.
Residents should treat the tiger footprints as a warning, not a cause for panic. The trap and the monitoring continue.
The settlement sits near forest, so more contact with wildlife is possible. We will update this story when Perhilitan shares more.
CJMY
C. Khor
Amirull Salihing
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