Spate of rare animal deaths in Malaysia sparks alarm

Kuala Lumpur : The deaths of two sun bears and a tapir in Malaysia sparked fresh alarm among activists yesterday at the growing number of exotic animals perishing in the biodiverse country.

A sun bear and tapir were killed in road accidents in the northeast of the country on Christmas Eve, with the tapir skinned by villagers after its carcass was discovered, environmental group WWF said.

A second sun bear was killed and cut up, with its parts spotted on the same day sold openly at a market in Sarawak state on Borneo island, local media
reported.

“Despite all efforts from various organisations and government bodies, yet again, we as a nation, have failed to stand up for our Malaysian wildlife,” said Dionysius Sharma, WWF-Malaysia executive director.