SINGAPORE: A rare sighting of an endangered Malayan tapir was caught in a video posted on Facebook by a cyclist in Punggol. The cyclist, whose name goes by Pong Posadas, shared his encounter with the tapir in the SG PCN Cyclist Facebook Group. He said the animal overtook him while he was riding his cycle.
“I was doing my normal morning cycling around Punggol PCN towards Lor. Halus bridge. Then i heard something running behind me, i thought i was hearing a horse coming from behind me. Then i just slowed down and let it pass and it overtook me: It was a Tapir!! Was shocked and amazed to see this amazing creature! And yes I kept my distance and quickly turned around when he stopped,” he declared in the post.
Netizens commented on the post.
One FB user said: “Oh this is scary to me if I went cycling there alone, I probably collapsed from jelly legs but sorry that it must be scared too, to be alone and running away cos it is seems lost without its natural habitat.”
Another user remarked: “When u see a Tapir, don’t ever chase or stand right behind them… If they feel threaten, they will spit out their bloody smelly pee on u and it will leave a white stain on ur clothes…”
More users stated: “This shows how our development has infringed and reduced their natural habitat, and are “forced” to come out to the urban areas,” and “It’s a harmless animal..poor thing.”
People are advised not to approach or feed these creatures. It is best to keep a safe distance from the wild animals and not do anything that could provoke them such as taking photos with a flash.
The Malayan tapir is the only species of tapir in Asia, and it is the largest of all four species of tapir. It is considered an endangered species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.