Tiger mauls man to death in Gerik, wife witnesses attack

A 54-year-old man died after a tiger mauled him near his home in Gerik, Kelantan today, in an incident witnessed by his wife.

The attack at 79.2km of the Gerik-Jeli North South Highway happened between 5am and 6am when he went to the outhouse toilet, Perak police chief Azizi Mat Aris was quoted by Kosmo! as saying.

The man’s wife heard a tiger roar and when she opened the door of their home, she saw the tiger drag her husband into the bushes, he said.

A search and rescue team found the man’s body at noon, which showed severe injuries to his leg and neck.

Human-widlife conflicts

Human-wildlife conflicts are on the rise due to increasing forest fragmentation caused by logging, plantation, mining, or road building.

There have been multiple incidents of human-elephant conflict along the same highway, with a man suffering serious injuries when an elephant trampled him in April.

Human-tiger conflicts are rarer, but last November, a tiger mauled two men on a Kelantan plantation in two separate incidents.

One of the victims, a Myanmar national, died after seeking medical help, while only the body parts of the other victim, an Indonesian man, were found in the forest.

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In September last year, a tiger was spotted roaming along the Gerik-Jeli highway, while an Orang Asli man in Pos Pasuk, Kelantan was mauled by a tiger while fishing.

In August, villagers in Pahang complained of tigers eating livestock.

Driven out to look for prey

WWF Malaysia recently explained that the primary factor driving tigers out of the forest is the lack of large prey.

“The tiger’s preferred prey is the sambar deer, one of which can sustain the tiger for a few days. However, sambar deer numbers have declined.

“Another tiger prey species, the wild boar, is also declining in numbers from African swine fever, a new emerging threat.

“Tigers are forced to seek out alternative food sources, including domestic livestock, often bringing them into conflict with humans,” the conservation group said.

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