(MY) panther attacks

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The Star Online

 

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 " meow meow'' while pointing her finger at the

panther under the wooden house in the 9.30am incident.

 

She was saved by her gutsy grandfather GoikEng, 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 " unusual growl " 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's father Sek Hong, 49, praised his father

Goik Eng for his selfless act.

 

" My daughter could have been dead by now if not for my father's selfless

act, " 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.

 

" He wanted to chase away the animal but instead had agitated it, causing the

panther to pounce on May Meng. My father quickly grabbed May Meng and pushed

her into the house through the window, " he said.

 

Sek Hong said while his father turned to save May Meng, the panther pounced

on him, partially ripping off his skin.

 

" When I returned home at about 10.30am, I heard my father screaming in pain

while May Meng uttered in fright: " Loh Foo Ngau Kung Kung " (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'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. " It was a nightmarish and chilling

experience for me to witness the whole incident, " 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.

 

The Star Online > News > Latest

Wednesday, September 25, 2002

 

Panther cub shot dead

 

TAMPIN: A panther cub, believed to have

strayed into Kampung Jeram in Repah, near

here was shot dead by a Rela member during

an operation to catch the animal early

Wednesday morning.

 

The cub, which was reported to be about two

years old and weighing about 15kg, was killed

when the Rela member Amir Redzuan Abdullah

released a shot from his pump gun at about

12.55am.

 

The joint operation to catch the animal - by the

National Park and Wildlife Department's game

rangers and Rela - was initiated after villager

Zaleha Ibrahim, 45, first sighted the cub at

about 8.20pm on Tuesday.

 

Zaleha saw the animal trying to maul her

chicken in the coop located in her backyard.

 

" The image of the panther was like that of a

black dog in the dark, but when it growled it

sounded like a tiger. I immediately dashed back

into the house and informed the village

headman, " she said.

 

She added the village headman alerted the

authorities and an operation was launched.