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The Wildlife and National Parks Department (PERHILITAN) is on high alert after tiger paw prints were discovered at an agricultural site in Kluang, Johor
According to the New Straits Times, PERHILITAN director-general Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim said the department received the report at 7.30pm on Friday, 3 April.
The discovery raised concerns over the endangered predator moving beyond its usual forest habitat.
A four-member team from the Batu Pahat and Kluang district PERHILITAN offices confirmed the tracks are believed to belong to a Malayan tiger.
Estimated to be three to four days old, the prints measured about 12cm wide and 11cm long, consistent with a sub-adult or adult tiger.
The site is located approximately 15km from the Renggam Forest Reserve and 27km from the Kluang Forest Reserve, indicating the tiger may have strayed from its natural habitat
PERHILITAN said patrols and monitoring operations will be intensified over the next 14 days to ensure public safety.
The Malayan Tiger Conservation Unit will also deploy camera traps to track the tiger's movements and plan appropriate follow-up measures.
Residents and workers in the area have been urged to remain vigilant, avoid going alone into plantations or forest edges, and limit outdoor activities in the early morning and late evening
Abdul Kadir also encouraged the public to act as the department's "eyes and ears" by reporting any sightings through PERHILITAN's hotline or official complaint channels.
The Malayan tiger, a critically endangered species, has increasingly been spotted near human settlements in recent years, often due to habitat loss and shrinking prey availability.
