Male tapir killed in hit-and-run
RAUB: A male tapir was killed after being hit by a vehicle along Jalan Budu-Dong near Kampung Tualang Padang here yesterday.
The endangered Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus) was believed to be crossing the single-stretch road when a vehicle crashed into it.
A motorist, who spotted the carcass on the road shoulder at about 1.50pm, alerted the State Wildlife and National Parks department (Perhilitan).
Seven Perhilitan staff attached to the Raub and Lipis office went to the site which is located away from settlements.
State Perhilitan director Ahmad Azhar Mohammed said the tapir, which weighed about 250kg, could have been hit late on Tuesday night or in the early hours of Wednesday.
He said the animal had injuries on the snout, head and body.
It might have been attempting to cross the road to forage for food when the incident occurred.
“Checks showed the animal was a fully grown adult aged between 15 and 18. All its body parts were still intact.
“Since not many vehicles use this stretch of road, villagers only spotted the carcass much later after the accident.
“The carcass was buried by Perhilitan officers after investigations were completed,” he said.
A Perhilitan staff said the animal might have been occupying the nearby forest.
“The motorist who crashed into the animal did not inform the authorities but instead drove away.
“There have been preveious cases when body parts such as the tail, ears and tongue of the tapir were removed by irresponsible individuals after the animal was killed in an accident.”
It is estimated that only between 1,100 and 1,500 tapirs remain in the wild in Peninsular Malaysia, and are concentrated in protected areas such as Taman Negara and wildlife reserves.
They are classified as a totally protected species under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.
Last year, a pair of tapir – a male and a female aged between eight and 10 – were killed after a car hit them while crossing the Gebeng bypass dual-carriageway in Pahang about 10pm.