Authorities hunt for tiger in Taman Rimba Cherok Tokun after photo goes viral
GEORGE TOWN, Aug 23 — The Penang state government has instructed the Forestry Department and Department of Wildlife and Natural Parks (Perhilitan) to investigate the authenticity of a picture depicting a tiger in Taman Rimba Cherok Tokun.
Penang state exco Phee Boon Poh said the picture appeared to have been photoshopped but the state did not want to take any chances.
The picture, which was spread on social media, showed a blurry image of a tiger lounging on a flat rock in a jungle.
Phee said the site in the picture was confirmed to be part of Taman Rimba Cherok Tokun.
“This has caused fear and speculation,” he said in a brief statement today.
He said there was a record of a tiger in the forests in Bukit Panchor but not in Taman Rimba Cherok Tokun.
He added that forest and Perhilitan rangers have been tracking the tiger that visited the habitat in Bukit Panchor and are now trying to find any tracks of it leading to the popular hiking trail of Cherok Tokun.
“On this note, I am personally appealing to the photographer who has taken the picture of a tiger resting in the jungle to come forward and discuss this issue,” he said.
He also appealed to anyone with information or who had sighted the tiger around the location to come forward.
Phee said so far the authorities have found no signs of a tiger along that track.
“This is a popular hiking trail so we have to take all precautions to verify if there was really a tiger along this trail,” he said.
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