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Everything About Tapir & Why People Are Surprised to See It in Punggol (Again)

2023-09-12 , 9:14 am

While Singapore is an urban jungle, spotting wildlife here and there isn’t exactly unheard of.

Earlier in June this year, a man was attacked by a wild boar while walking his dog at Bukit Panjang.

And most recently on Monday (11 Sep 2023), a Malayan tapir was spotted at Punggol.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Malayan Tapir Spotted at Punggol Park Connector

On 11 Sep 2023, Facebook user Pong Posadas uploaded a video of a rare Malayan tapir running wild on the Punggol park connector.

Posadas was on his usual morning bicycle ride at that time.

He had heard something running behind him and initially thought it was a horse.

It was only after he slowed down, and the creature overtook him, that he realised it was a tapir.

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In the caption of the original video, Posadas clarified that he was not chasing the tapir. It was already running fast when they had their encounter.

Then, he followed the Malayan tapir on its run from a safe distance to film it.

During the run, the tapir ran past a jogger and a person pushing a skate skooter. Both individuals immediately moved away from the tapir’s mad dash.

After the tapir stopped running, Posadas turned around immediately and widened the distance between him and the tapir to 20 metres.

He told Straits Times that the tapir went towards the river through a hole in the fence.

Stay Away From Wild Animals

If you spotted a wild animal wandering around in our neighbourhood, avoid feeding it or scaring it into action.

After all, the animals could be feeling lost or stressed, according to the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres).

“They should also refrain from running or cycling after the animal,” ACRES added.

NParks Staff Deployed on the Ground

A spokesperson for National Parks Board (NParks), Ryan Lee, said that the board is aware of the Malayan tapir incident.

NParks staff are already deployed on the ground to keep a lookout for the tapir.

Should anyone happen to encounter the tapir, they are advised to remain calm and quiet, and to refrain from making sudden movements.

“If members of the public encounter the tapir, remain calm and quiet and do not make any sudden movements. Do not attempt to approach or feed the animal. Keep a safe distance and do not corner or provoke the animal, for example, by using flash photography while taking pictures of it.”

Why People Are Surprised to See It in Punggol (Again)

According to Lee, tapir sightings are rare. However, this isn’t the first time a Tapir was spotted at Punggol.

Earlier this year in July, a Malayan tapir “the size of a pig” was spotted on the Punggol park connector as well.

Image: Facebook (@Singapore Wildlife Sightings)

Then, ACRES had explained that the tapir had likely swam to Singapore, and it returned to the sea and swam away.

Before you think that a tapir sighting isn’t as rare as it seems, the last time a tapir was sighted was at Changi in 2016.

Before the 2016 sighting, the last sighting of a Malayan tapir in Singapore was in 1986.

Facts about the Malayan Tapir

The Malayan tapir is the largest of four tapir species. It can grow up to 2.5m tall and weigh up to 500kg.

The Malayan tapir can be identified by a unique white patch on its back.

According to the Tapir Specialist Group’s website, Malayan tapirs are found throughout the Malayan Peninsula.

However, deforestation is a significant threat to their survival.

Malayan tapirs are more active at night.

It is estimated that there are 1,500 to 2,000 Malayan tapirs left.