“It lost its home” – M’sians are Saddened by Scared Tapir Running in the Streets of Terengganu

Malaysia is home to many unique flora and fauna species, some of which can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

Sadly, due to deforestation and vast developments, many of these species find themselves endangered, or worse, on the brink of extinction.

An adult Malayan Tapir was spotted roaming aimlessly in Dungun, Terengganu

One of the local species that are classified as endangered in Malaysia is the majestic Malayan Tapir, with a video of the black and white-coloured animal roaming aimlessly on the streets of Dungun, Terengganu went viral online. 

The video, shared by @hafizfauzi_12 on TikTok garnered over 651,000 views and 46,500 likes as of the time of writing, with many Malaysians saddened by the sight of the scared and confused Tapir.

In the 26-second video recorded by a motorcyclist, the lone Tapir can be seen walking at night at an undisclosed location in Dungun before getting scared by road users and running across the street. 

The motorcyclist then made a U-turn and followed the Tapir, showing it galloping away into the middle of another street.

In the captions, @hafizfauzi_12 joked that he spotted a Panda roaming the streets of Dungun, seemingly in reference to how both species have the same colour scheme.

Watch the video here:

@hafizfauzi_12 Terjumpa panda dekat dungun#dungun #dungunterengganu #fyp ♬ original sound – Hafiz.ent

Malaysians are saddened by the plight of the Malayan Tapir

In the comments section, many Malaysians were concerned about the Tapir’s well-being and expressed their sadness at its plight.

One commenter sympathises with the Tapir and asks if it was lost, to which @hafizfauzi_12 replies that the nearby forest of Dungun is allegedly on fire.

Another commenter echoed the same sentiment, saying that she pities the Tapir which was confused and at a loss as to where it could go.

Meanwhile, a few commenters corrected the caption of the video, stressing that it was not a Panda but a Malayan Tapir, one of the crown jewels of our country and that the species must be protected.

Besides that, one commenter noted that the Tapir was cute while another said that the animal must be searching for its habitat.

So, what do you guys think of the video? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

Also read: WATCH: Tapir Escapes From Johor Zoo & Goes For a Night Run With APM Personnel