Lost Tapirs Emerge From Forest In Malaysia After Massive Floods
The end-of-year monsoon season can be a frightening time as there is an increased risk of floods due to heavy rain.
After torrential downpours gripped Malaysia last Friday (17 Dec), several cities experienced massive floods, especially over the weekend.
Unfortunately, humans were not the only ones to suffer the consequences. A Twitter video showed 2 Malayan tapirs wandering along a row of cars during the flood, looking lost.
😠kesian haiwan liar semua, dia pun xder rumah pic.twitter.com/zLAHuvwDFH
— Get Vaxxed! (@changing_shade) December 20, 2021
Apart from the tapirs, residents impacted by the flood also saw other reptiles such as snakes and turtles entering their homes.
Tapirs emerge from forest after massive floods
The video, posted on Monday (20 Dec), showed the 2 tapirs trudging along a flooded road.
Due to the slight difference in size, it looked like the pair was a mother and her young. The man who took a video of the animals was also shocked to see wild tapirs out and about.
He wrote in his caption that he pitied the wildlife who also lost their homes due to the floods.
The 2 tapirs later stopped near a vehicle. While the man tried to approach them, the tapirs immediately ran off, probably shocked by his presence.
Tapirs are an endangered species
According to Yahoo News, the viral video was believed to have been taken in Pahang.
While it is unsure where they emerged from, they probably came from a nearby forest.
As the Malayan tapir is an endangered species with only around 3,000 left in the world, many netizens hoped the tapirs would be safe.
Malayan tapirs are also listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
A prolific nature advocate, Aidil Iman Aidid, also retweeted the original post. He urged people to contact Malaysia’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks should they encounter wildlife that required help.
He was also heartbroken to see more wildlife sightings in human areas due to the floods.
Other wildlife also seen in residential areas
Other animals were also spotted in residential areas due to the floods, apart from the tapirs.
In a Facebook video posted by Gowhereforsg on Sunday (19 Dec), a python was seen swimming in someone’s house.
A turtle, who most probably lost its way, was also seen swimming around in a flooded kitchen.
The last clip showed what seems to be a monitor lizard who probably unknowingly wandered into an individual’s house.
Parts of Malaysia experiencing massive floods after heavy rain
The massive floods came after a tremendous amount of rain ravaged the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia late last Friday (17 Dec).
The downpour lasted over 24 hours, which was reportedly equal to a month’s worth of rain, reported Malay Mail.
The Environment and Water Ministry secretary-general Zaini Ujang said the rainfall was beyond expectations and only occurred once every 100 years.
A total of 7 states and 1 federal territory were affected by floods—Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Pahang, Perak and Selangor.
On 21 Dec, the nationwide death toll was at 14, while over 66,000 victims were evacuated.
Sad to see both wildlife & people losing their homes
It is devastating when such natural disasters occur due to the amount of destruction it brings to wildlife and humans.
Hopefully, the lost tapirs and other animals will manage to find their way home safely.
And to everyone whose lives have been impacted by the floods, hang in there. We hope that you and your loved ones will survive this ordeal soon.
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Featured image adapted from Nurul Shafiqah Zainurin on Facebook.
