55-Stone Tapir Killed On Road After Leaving Reserve

Story ByLee Bullen, Sub EditorJoseph Golder, AgencyNewsflash

A huge 55-stone tapir has been hit and killed on the road after wandering from its Malaysian forest reserve.

The 350-kilogramme (55 stone) tapir was killed in Jalan Kahang Barat near the town of Kluang in the south-western Malaysian state of Johor.

According to Johor Wildlife and National Parks director Salman Saaban, the stocky animal wandered onto the road from its habitat in the Kluang Forest Reserve.

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He added that a local resident reported the incident at around 8am on 28th September.

In the photos, the bloodied animal appears to have been hit by at least two cars.

Saaban said: “The tapir had injuries to its head, which we believe were from a vehicle and which caused its death.

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“The straight road where the carcass was found gets quite dark at night (sic) and early in the morning, which could be contributing factors of the accident.”

Saaban said the tapir’s body was buried by the local authorities near to where it was killed.

Saaban added that it was the seventh tapir found dead in Johor this year and he asked road users to “stay alert and be careful especially when travelling near forest or wildlife habitat areas”.

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