Male tapir found dead, believed hit by vehicle in Kemaman

Terengganu Perhilitan director Loo Kean Seng says the 250kg tapir was found by a road user along the Jalan Kuala Terengganu-Kuantan route.

In April, it was reported that only 700 to 800 Malayan tapirs remain in the wild. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 A male tapir was found dead in Kemaman, Terengganu, believed to have been hit by a vehicle on the Jalan Kuala Terengganu-Kuantan road today.

According to Terengganu wildlife and national parks department (Perhilitan) director Loo Kean Seong, the 250kg tapir was found by a road user at about 11.40am, Bernama reported.

“We found that there were injury marks on the mouth, legs and body of the wildlife carcass,” he was quoted as saying.

Loo said four personnel from the Kemaman district Perhilitan office disposed of the carcass.

“We advise road users to always be careful and aware of wildlife crossing areas,” he said.

It was the second case of a male tapir being killed in Terengganu in the last six months.

On July 13, it was reported that a 120kg male tapir was killed when it was struck by a car while crossing the Kuantan-Kemaman road just past midnight.

The natural resources and environmental sustainability ministry had reported last April that a total of 112 Malayan tapirs were killed in road accidents nationwide between 2020 and 2024.

The report also cited data from Perhilitan that showed only about 700 to 800 Malayan tapirs remain in their natural habitats.

The ministry said at the time that work had begun on the construction of the National Tapir Conservation Centre at the Kenaboi Forest Reserve in Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan, but did not give an estimated time for its completion. - FMT