'Man-Eating' Tigers in Malaysia Terrorize Village Following Attack Spree That Killed 4

Tiger traps have been set up in Malaysia's Kelantan state's isolated forests after the critically endangered big cats were blamed for the deaths of four people. Authorities have captured two critically endangered Malayan tigers after they were accused of an unusual number of villagers' deaths.

Tiger Attacks in Malaysia

(Photo : Getty Images/AHMAD AL-RUBAYE)

A man is reported to have been attacked by a tiger in a rubber plantation in Gua Musang, Kelantan. Body pieces of Lalu Sukarya Yahya, 42, an Indonesian migrant laborer, were discovered with markings indicating an animal attack.

The death occurred just days after another fatal tiger attack in the same town, Kampung Meranto, involving Myanmar native Ahka Soe Ya, 22. The victim worked on a rubber plantation as well.

The first death occurred in October, when a man identified as Pisie Amud, 25, went fishing near the forests of Pos Pasik in Kelantan. Halim Asin, a 27-year-old indigenous male, was discovered dead two days later.

Authorities have described the recent spate of deadly incidents as unprecedented, claiming that just four tiger attacks, two of which were fatal, were reported between 2017 and 2022.

The Department of Wildlife and Nature Parks (Perhilitan) in Kelantan reported that it had successfully captured a tiger in the area, along with another in September, both of which were suspected of being responsible for the attacks.

Both big cats were relocated to a wildlife refuge.

Mating Season

Kelantan's deputy chief minister, Mohamed Fadzli, claimed efforts to capture the animals wandering free in rubber fields have increased, and he blamed the attacks on humans on the mating season.

"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," he added. Authorities also encouraged plantation workers to avoid working alone and provoking wildlife in the area.

The wooded and secluded village of Gua Musang borders two major forest reserves, including Malaysia's Taman Negara national park, and is located in the Central Forest Spine, which encompasses much of Peninsular Malaysia's so-called backbone all the way into Thailand.

Malaysia's national animal is the Malayan tiger subspecies, which appears on the country's coat of arms and is also the name of the national football team, Harimau Malaya.

However, it is estimated that fewer than 200 remain in Peninsular Malaysia's jungles.

According to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Conservation Science in August, the overall tiger population, while tiny, has remained stable due to the survival and breeding of female tigers and the stabilization of the number of prey species such as wild boar and barking deer.

However, its jungle environment is dwindling due to logging and a mining boom, with the state government planning to extract 2.56 million metric tons of rare earth minerals in Gua Musang and surrounding areas.