Tiger found dead in car boot in Malaysia, 3 arrested for illegal poaching

Malaysian police have arrested three men on suspicion of poaching a critically endangered Malayan tiger, after the animal’s carcass was discovered inside the boot of a car in the southern state of Johor.

The grisly discovery was made during a joint operation by the Bukit Aman Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) and the Johor Department of Wildlife and National Parks on Tuesday morning in Felda Tenggaroh, Mersing.

In a statement on social media, the FRU said its intelligence unit had inspected a Perodua Alza multipurpose vehicle and uncovered the carcass of a Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni), believed to have been hunted illegally. Three men, aged between 28 and 49, were arrested after failing to produce special permits for possessing the protected species.

The FRU confirmed that the tiger had suffered severe snare wounds and six gunshot injuries to the head, which were believed to have caused its death during an initial examination.

Authorities also seized the vehicle and four mobile phones, with the combined value of confiscated items estimated at 294,007 ringgit (US$70,000). All suspects and seized items were taken to the Mersing district police headquarters for further investigation.

“Harimau belang [tigers] are a priceless national treasure. Their loss due to human greed is a betrayal of our heritage,” FRU commander SAC Rosli Md Yusof said in the statement.