Sun bear still on the loose as Perhilitan widens Seremban search

SEREMBAN, Oct 7 — Police have intensified patrols in Taman Tuanku Ja’afar (TTJ) after a sun bear was sighted in the residential area, with authorities expanding the search as the animal remains at large. Seremban district police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Yatim Osman stated that the patrols aim to ensure residents' safety, as there are concerns the bear may approach or attack people.

While Perhilitan, Malaysia's wildlife conservation department, handles the search with assistance from its personnel and the public, Yatim emphasized that residents should remain vigilant. The Perhilitan, or Department of Wildlife and National Parks, is monitoring the bear's movements around TTJ and the surrounding areas since it failed to enter a trap nearby.

This marks the first report of a sun bear entering the TTJ residential area, according to Negeri Sembilan Perhilitan director Wan Mat Wan Harun. The search began after a TikTok video posted on September 29 showed the bear tearing into the roof of a hut in the housing area around midnight. Sun bears are the smallest bear species in the world and are native to South-east Asia, including Malaysia.

Classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, their population declines due to habitat loss, hunting, and human-bear conflict. As forest-dependent animals, sun bears occasionally wander into human settlements in search of food, potentially leading to hazardous encounters with residents.