'Burglar' footsteps turn out to be sun bear foraging in housing area

SEREMBAN: Footsteps heard in a residential area in Taman Tuanku Ja'afar around midnight on Sunday were initially mistaken for those of a burglar, but turned out to be a sun bear foraging for food.

A TikTok video uploaded by a resident showed the animal prying open the roof of a hut in the neighbourhood around midnight.

"I heard footsteps. I thought it was a burglar, but a sun bear came out instead. It is dangerous for young children," the video caption read.

Negri Sembilan Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director Wan Mat Wan Harun said the department first received a report of the animal at the 15th Royal Malay Regiment (RAMD) Camp in Senawang, adjacent to Taman Tuanku Ja'afar, on Sept 19.

"We set up a bear trap in the area on Sept 21 after receiving a report that a sun bear had damaged stingless bee honey hives kept inside the camp," he said when contacted today.

Wan Mat said the nearby forest was directly connected to the Angsi Forest Reserve, which is the animal's natural habitat.

Following the latest report, he said officers would conduct a detailed investigation and relocate the trap to a more strategic location if the sun bear was still roaming near the housing area.

"This is to ensure the animal can be safely captured and relocated," he said.

The sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) is the world's smallest bear species and the only bear species native to the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia, including Malaysia.

It is a fully protected species under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.

The public is advised not to approach or attempt to capture the animal, but to report sightings immediately to Perhilitan.