Bear trapped after oil-guzzling raid
Bear trapped after terrifying villagers
SETIU - A sun bear that raided a home here and consumed 15 kilogrammes (kg) of cooking oil has been captured.
Villagers in Kampung Padang Serai were relieved when the animal was trapped on Tuesday morning.
The bear had previously broken into a house, devouring leftovers and emptying oil bottles.
Resident Amir Hakim Mohd Zaki, 21, said that the bear had intruded and eaten leftover food from his kitchen sink last month.
He also revealed that the bear rummaged through used cooking oil stored at the back of his kitchen.
"About 15kg of used cooking oil stored in bottles were consumed by the bear, which we discovered when we found the empty oil bottles scattered around the house," he told reporters on Wednesday.
Another resident, Ramli Jusoh, 63, expressed relief over the capture of the bear.
"We are grateful because the villagers had been living in fear as the bear was seen wandering around the residential area several times over the past two months.
"During that period, we were afraid to leave our houses, fearing an attack if we encountered the bear," he said.
Terengganu Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) Director Loo Kean Seong confirmed that the 140kg male bear was trapped earlier yesterday.
He clarified that the trap was set following multiple complaints from villagers about disturbances caused by the bear.
"We received complaints from the local community about the bear starting June 12.
"We captured a bear on June 20, and another was captured yesterday (Tuesday) in the same village," he added.
Kean Seong added that the bear has been released back into its natural habitat.
