It is suspected to have been killed in a collision with a vehicle.

Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) Johor director Salman Saaban said in a statement today that a member of the public reported the accident via phone at 10.20pm.

“The tapir is believed to have wandered from its habitat in the Seluyut Forest Reserve and crossed the road to Felda Bukit Waha in search of food.”

He said the vehicle involved in the accident was not found at the scene.

Salman said this was the third fatal accident involving a tapir this year.

The first case was reported on March 27, where a male tapir was run down along Jalan Jemaluang-Mersing in Mersing and the second reported on April 6 where another male tapir was found dead along Jalan Sedili-Tenggaroh in Kota Tinggi.

Regarding rescue operations, Salman reported that on April 28, Johor Perhilitan rescued a female tapir from Felda Tenggaroh 5. It was later released into the Endau-Rompin National Park.

On another matter, on June 7, Perhilitan confiscated a grey-headed fish eagle, a white-bellied sea eagle and a grey parrot from a 35-year-old Malaysian man who was keeping them at a house in Taman Sri Pulai.

“A special and hard-to-get permit is required to keep the eagles,” said Salman.

The birds were later released into their natural habitat in Mersing.

He said that from Jan 1 to June 15, Johor Perhilitan confiscated 981 birds from 15 species — 908 were white-rumped shama (murai batu) — under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716).