WATCH: Viral Lost Tapir Who “Toured” Entire Dungun District Before Falling Into Drain, Rescued

These days, wild animal sightings in the city are not uncommon. Just a couple of months ago a wandering tapir was caught in a hotel in Melaka and a pair of elephants were spotted breaking into a house in Johor.

However, the lost male tapir who went on a “tour” in Dungun, Terengganu yesterday was probably the most well-documented incident of a wild animal being sighted in the city as many photos and videos of the animal were circulated online. 

In multiple video recordings, the tapir, estimated to be around 250kg, can be seen wandering around town before eventually falling into a deep drain in Kampung Alor Tembesu and trapping itself there.

There’s even one video of the tapir running away from a man who was presumably involved in rescue efforts. As the man was holding onto a rope tied to the tapir, he had to run after the tapir too!

According to Sura ADUN YB Wan Hapandi Wan Nik, the tapir has been spotted at a few locations in Dungun since Wednesday (February 15) morning.

“It’s understood that the tapir has ‘toured’ the entire Dungun.”

He also said that the animal should not be allowed to roam in human settlement areas as it is categorized as an endangered species, adding that “Things will be bad if it was hit by a vehicle.”

Meanwhile, Terengganu Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN) director Loo Kean Seong said that the tapir has been caught and will be treated for some minor injuries before being released into a nearby forest reserve. 

“The tapir was successfully caught by PERHILITAN in collaboration with the Civil Defense Force (APM), the Village Development and Security Committee (JPKK) and members of the public.”

Did you know that a tapir could run so fast?

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