Footprints of Tapir Found in a West Sumatra Neighborhood, Residents Worried

TheIndonesia.co - The footprints of a tapir have been found by residents in a neighborhood in Padang Galanggang, Agam regency, in the province of West Sumatra.

Community leader Atriandi said the footprints of the wild and protected animal were found just 10 to 30 meters behind a resident’s house on Monday, June 27.

“We found many tapir footprints behind that resident’s house,” Atriandi said on Tuesday, as reported by Antara.

He added the wild and protected animal was likely to be still roaming the neighborhood, and it was worried that the tapir (Tapirus indicus) would appear when residents head to their farm.

“The tapir is still within the residential area, and the residents go to their farm every day,” the leader of the jorong (community) said.

According to him, tapir probably roamed the neighborhood because boar-hunting activity had just taken place near the area on Sunday, and it triggered the animal to leave its habitat.

The animal had previously entered residential area and headed to a major road that connects Lubukbasung Agam and the city of Bukittinggi, but that was the last time it was seen not within its natural habitat.

“It hadn’t reappeared since then until recently,” Atriandi said.