Tiger or clouded leopard? Perhilitan on lookout for big cat in Tg Malim

A big cat was sighted roaming a residential area in Tanjung Malim, Perak, according to a CCTV recording by a resident there.

The Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) confirmed receiving a report that a tiger was possibly spotted passing in front of a house in Taman Bernam Baru.

However, Perhilitan Perak director Yusoff Shariff told Bernama it is likely to be a clouded leopard.

"The public is advised to exercise caution if confronted by the animal and not to provoke it. Avoid going into the forest area as from our records there are indeed leopards in the nearby Tapah Forest Reserve.

He said the department is monitoring the area and will send the animal back to its habitat if it is spotted.

Muallim District police chief Mohd Hasni Mohd Nasir said police received the complaint from locals at about 6pm on Jan 23 but the animal has not been spotted since.

The 49-second CCTV recording claiming to be a tiger walking in front of a home has gone viral on social media.

Taman Bernam Baru is located close to the Bukit Tapah Forest Reserve.

The clouded leopard is a vulnerable species, with its population decreasing in the wild.

There are 6,000 in the wild globally, with about 15 percent believed to be in Malaysia, according to International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.

Malayan Tigers are critically endangered with less than 150 left in the wild in Peninsular Malaysia.

Among the threats to their existence are habitat loss and poaching.

Last July, WWF Malaysia announced spotting a female Malayan tiger and four cubs through a camera trap in the wild in Perak, renewing hope of the species’ survival.

"This sighting is proof that with a viable population - though small - tigers can still re-populate if their habitat, food and safety are ensured,” Perak State Parks Corporation director Shah Redza Hussein said at the time. - Mkini