Guest guest Posted September 11, 2002 Report Share Posted September 11, 2002 ***************************Advertisement*************************** TechCentral http://star-techcentral.com ***************************************************************** This message was forwarded to you by yitzeling. Comment from sender: This article is from thestar.com.my URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2002/9/11/nation/sbnpan & sec=nation ________________________ Wednesday, September 11, 2002 Girl survives encounter with panther By R.S.N. MURALI TAMPIN: A five-year-old girl was nearly mauled to death when a big black dog she tried feeding with biscuits turned out to be a panther which was lurking around her house at Felda Bukit Rokan, about 70km from here yesterday. Soh May Meng even whispered & #147;meow meow & #146; & #146; while pointing her finger at the panther under the wooden house in the 9.30am incident. She was saved by her gutsy grandfather Goik Eng, 75, a shopkeeper, who quickly grabbed her and shoved her inside the house through a window. He had rushed out of the house after hearing an & #147;unusual growl & #148; and in saving her, he was attacked by the panther and suffered serious claw wounds on his head and legs. Her parents, who are tappers, were working at their estate at the time of the attack. Narrating the incident, May Meng & #146;s father Sek Hong, 49, praised his father Goik Eng for his selfless act. & #147;My daughter could have been dead by now if not for my father & #146;s selfless act, & #148; he said, in between tears. Sek Hong, who was interviewed at home, said his father had picked up a bamboo stick when he saw May Meng trying to feed the panther. & #147;He wanted to chase away the animal but instead had agitated it, causing the panther to pounce on May Meng. & #147;My father quickly grabbed May Meng and pushed her into the house through the window, & #148; he said. Sek Hong said while his father turned to save May Meng, the panther pounced on him, partially ripping off his skin. & #147;When I returned home at about 10.30am, I heard my father screaming in pain while May Meng uttered in fright: & #147;Loh Foo Ngau Kung Kung & #148; (a tiger bit grandfather). Sek Hong said he immediately alerted a senior estate assistant and summoned for an ambulance to rush his father to the Malacca Hospital. The panther also attacked an Indonesian contract worker, Harti Darsono, 45, who was laying bricks for a drain at a school, about 500m away from Goik Eng & #146;s home. He was rushed to the Gemencheh clinic where he received out-patient treatment for head and body injuries but was admitted to the Tampin hospital later when his condition worsened. Gardener Zahari Zakaria, 44, who witnessed Harti being attacked, said the victim managed to hit the panther with a shovel. Zahari said he immediately took a pail and started banging on it hoping that the sound would scare the animal away. & #147;It was a nightmarish and chilling experience for me to witness the whole incident, & #148; he said. OCPD Supt Abdul Wahab Azizul Hassan said police had stationed five personnel on a 24-hour watch at the Felda scheme and alerted the National Park and Wildlife Department. Traps would be set up to capture the panther with the help of Rela personnel. Mentri Besar Tan Sri Mohamed Isa Abdul Samad visited the village and Goik Eng at the hospital. In Malacca, CLARENCE CHUA reported that Goik Eng was in stable condition and would be discharged in less than a week. Isa advised settlers in the Felda scheme to exercise caution as the panther was still on the loose. Tampin OCPD Supt Abdul Wahab Azizul said this was the first of such attacks reported in Felda Bukit Rokan. <p> ________________________ Your one-stop information portal: The Star Online http://thestar.com.my http://biz.thestar.com.my http://classifieds.thestar.com.my http://cards.thestar.com.my http://search.thestar.com.my http://star-motoring.com http://star-space.com http://star-jobs.com http://star-ecentral.com http://star-techcentral.com 1995-2002 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Star Publications is prohibited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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