SEREMBAN, Dec 28 — The Department of Wildlife and National Parks has asked the Public Works Department to install more street lights along a 10-km stretch of Jalan Seremban-Kuala Pilah to prevent motorists from running over wild animals crossing the road there at night.
Its Negeri Sembilan director, Wan Mat Wan Harun, said wild animals, especially the tapir, crossed the stretch of road between Km10 and Km20 near the Ulu Bendul recreation area.
“Last Friday, a female adult tapir died after a car ran over it as it crossed the road at Km20 after emerging from the jungle,” he said to Bernama. In 2015, a male adult tapir was run over by a vehicle at the same location.
Vehicles continue to run over wild animals despite the erection of four ‘Wildlife Crossing’ signboards at the stretch. The endangered tapir seems to be the animal usually run over by vehicles.
Wan Mat also suggested that studs be installed on the surface of the road at the stretch to force vehicles to reduce speed as they approach the area.
“Although the speed limit at the stretch is 60 kph, some motorists exceeded the speed limit,” he said, adding that guardrails should also be installed at the road shoulders to prevent the wild animals from gaining access to the road.
Wan Mat said the road had access to the Angsi and Berembun forest reserves which had been identified as the habitat of the tapir and, based on records, the area had a high tapir population besides other animals such as monkeys, wild boars and panthers.
He also said that as wild animals roamed there, the area had been included in the Central Forest Spine.
Wan Mat advised road users to exercise caution when they used that stretch of road. — Bernama
