KUALA TERENGGANU: A black panther reported to be roaming around Taman Harmoni, near Al Muktafi Billah Shah, Dungun for the past two weeks has not been caught.
Terengganu Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) director, Dr Abdul Malik Mohd Yusuf said the department had set up tiger traps around the area yesterday and continued monitoring.
“As long as the panther is not caught, we advise residents to be careful and avoid going outside the house.
“Most importantly, residents should report to the police immediately if a tiger is spotted in their area,“ he said when contacted today.
Dr Abdul Malik said this was the first complaint he received about a panther in a residential area after the appearance of two tigers in Kampung Besul Lama, Bukit Besi in Dungun two months ago.
Yesterday, Bernama reported that residents in the housing area were worried as they had been seeing a black panther around the area for the past two weeks.
On July 19, a tiger from the Malayan species, estimated to weigh 130 kg, was caught around 3.30 pm after being shot with a sedative.
The five-year-old animal was caught while resting in a bush area about 500 metres off the main road of Kampung Besul Lama.
However, the tiger was reported to have died on July 23 while undergoing treatment and quarantine at the National Wildlife Rescue Centre (NWRC) in Sungkai, Perak. — Bernama
