Harimau Terengganu: Two tigers spotted strolling through east coast village

Terengganu Wildlife and Fisheries authorities are having a busy week: On Wednesday, oil rig workers spotted a pair of killer whales up close and personal to their platform, and managed to record a short clip of the two swimming along. Yesterday, another animal clip made its way onto the interwebs, of two sizeable tigers taking a walk though one of the state’s villages.

[Video] Kemunculan seekor harimau yang dirakam melalui dua video yang tular di laman sosial sejak tengahari tadi disahkan berlaku di Dungun, Terengganu.https://t.co/igf4BClzSl pic.twitter.com/zJfc111dUU

— BERNAMA (@bernamadotcom) July 18, 2019

Residents of Kampung Besul, in Bukit Besi were left with mouths open inside their vehicles, and also running for cover, when the two tigers landed on their town’s main strip, like some kind of Jumanji version of that Lil Nas X video.

No serious injuries have been reported.

However, judging by their relatively calm and tame demeanor, the director of the Terengganu Wildlife and National Parks Department, Dr. Abdul Malek Mohd Yusof, believes that the two are more than likely someone’s pet, and perhaps lost their way after being allowed to wander through the area’s lush jungles. Eventually they came upon the village, and ended up wandering through.

https://twitter.com/999Malaysia/status/1151835828567465984

“We also believe that the tame behavior displayed by the tigers is probably due to an illness, as they appeared less energetic,” said Dr. Abdul.

“However, we cannot confirm this as the tigers are still at large,” he concluded to media present at the village last night.

As of midday Friday, the tigers have yet to be recaptured, with a group of 20 Wildlife Department officials assembled to find the pair. Traps have been laid out around the village, to assuage local fears that the two could return.

Villagers have since been asked to avoid the nearby jungles while authorities try to find the two.

Malayan tigers are native to peninsular Malaysia, though are listed as critically endangered, with estimates placing their numbers at somewhere around 250-340 in a 2013 survey. They are found in the south and central areas of the peninsula, including Terengganu.