Malaysia's wildlife department gets blasted for using puppies as panther bait

Malaysia's wildlife department, Perhilitan has come under fire for using puppies as live bait to capture wild panthers. 

Their unusual methods first came to light when Malaysian media reported the successful capture of a wild panther in Negeri Sembilan on Sept 18. Three puppies were used as bait to capture the predator. 

Two more panthers were subsequently captured using the same method on Sept 27 and Oct 1. 

Perhilitan was first alerted to panthers roaming in the state after a panther mauled a villager's dog at a fruit orchard, according to a Facebook post by Negeri Sembilan Chief Minister Aminuddin Harun on Sept 4. Following the attack, the terrified villagers lodged a complaint with the wildlife department. 

Last Thursday (Oct 5), Malaysian animal rights group Persatuan Haiwan Terbiar Malaysia (SAFM) posted on Facebook post questioning Perhilitan on why they did not use more "humane" methods such as using other animals such as goat, chicken or cow as bait to capture the wild panthers instead. 

In their post, the animal rights group also called for the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) to conduct a thorough investigation on the matter.

"This incident provides a clear reminder of the need to approach the problem of wild animals carefully and ethically in order to find a solution that better to protect the interests of wildlife," SAFM said. 

No puppies were harmed in the operation: Perhilitan 

Defending their decision, Abdul Kadir Abu Hassan, director-general of Perhilitan told Malaysian media that they had to resort to using puppies as their usual method of using live goats as bait did not work. 

Abdul added that the department had complied with their standard procedures while carrying out the operation. 

"In this particular case, there was indication that the panther had attacked dogs so we used the puppies for their barking and scent to attract the panther," said Abdul. 

He added that the cage used to trap the panthers had a separate compartment to hold the puppies. 

"The puppies were released from the cage as soon as the panther was caught and none of them were injured in the process," Abdul told Malaysian media. 

The wildlife department has caught a dozen panthers in the state since last year, reported the South China Morning Post.

According to Aminuddin, the captured panthers have been treated and appeared healthy. However, he declined to share if they have been released back into the forest. 

The Chief Minister also added that Perhilitan was conducting investigations to find out why the panthers strayed into the village. 

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ashwini.balan@asiaone.com