Malaysia on alert as ‘killer’ Malayan tigers blamed for deaths of 4 in Kelantan
- Authorities alarmed over unprecedented spate of attacks in recent months, matching figures recorded in past four years
- Malayan tiger subspecies believed to number fewer than 200 in the jungles of Peninsular Malaysia
On Saturday, authorities discovered body parts believed to belong to Indonesian migrant worker Lalu Sukarya Yahya, 42, in a rubber plantation in Gua Musang, Kelantan, who they suspect fell victim to a tiger attack.
“Since it is mating season, the tigers are roaming around looking for a mate and food. Some tiger packs are also teaching their cubs to hunt, these are the reasons that these animals are attacking humans,” Kelantan Deputy Chief Minister Mohamed Fadzli said.
The death came days after another fatal tiger attack, involving Myanmar national Ahka Soe Ya, 22, in the same village of Kampung Meranto in Gua Musang. The victim was also working in a rubber plantation.
In October, Pisie Amud, 25, was killed by a tiger, adding to the May death of fellow indigenous community member Halim Asin, 27, in what authorities say is an unprecedented spate of fatalities.
Between 2017 to 2022, only four attacks on humans were recorded, two of them fatal.