GUA MUSANG: A male tapir was found dead by the side of the Gua Musang-Kuala Krai road near the Felda Chiku Satu settlement today, and is believed to have been hit by a vehicle and dragged for around 15m.
Kelantan Wildlife and National Parks Department director Ady Ermanty Haniff Mohamed Hanif said the remains of the tapir, which weighed 450kg, was found by a member of the public who was passing the area at about 7.45am today.
The eight-year-old tapir was believed to have been hit by a vehicle between midnight and early this morning. “Initial investigations indicate that the tapir was trying to cross the road before being rammed by a vehicle in the darkness,” he said in a statement today.
He added that the tapir had left its habitat probably because it was looking for food in the area.
According to the department’s records, three tapirs had been killed after being hit by vehicles in the state last year.