KULIM: The residents of Kampung Padang Ubi here have learnt their lesson to not take matters into their own hands when dealing with wildlife.
Due to one resident's decision to lace snacks with rat poison to trap monkeys, a three-year old boy died while his two-year old brother is fighting for his life.
Muhammad Akil Syauqi, 3, died earlier today, while his brother, Muhammad Luth Syauqi, 2, is still in the hospital.
Resident Hasma Mohamad, 57, said that the tragic incident should forever be a reminder to everyone in the village and elsewhere to not take unconsulted actions against wild animals.
She said although wild animals encroaching on villagers' farms and property are a serious matter, such actions must be dealt with more care in the future.
"What else can be done? Everyone must take this tragedy as a reminder to take precautions when dealing with wild animals or handling any type of poison," said Hasma when met in the village today.
Hasma, a housewife, said that villagers have been complaining about monkeys and wild boars encroaching on their farmland, unable to cope with their behaviour.
"I personally have to deal with monkeys taking my fruits from my orchard. I am also afraid to deal with them, as they could potentially harm me.
"However, they're animals that are just trying to survive, so we can't simply point a finger at them for this incident," she added.
Meanwhile, Kampung Padang Ubi Village Council (MKK) chairman Inche Borhan said that the threat of wild animals had been reported to the authorities eight months ago, but claimed no action had been taken so far.
He said that four other villages were also affected, ncluding Kampung Bikan, Kampung Patong, Kampung Petani, and Kampung Bikan Atas.
"About 5,000 people are affected by this issue. However, the incident involving the two brothers needs to be addressed for the safety of all residents," he added.
Yesterday, Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director Jamalul Nasir Ibrahim said the department had received numerous complaints about monkey and wild boar disturbances in the area.
He said action has been taken on the complaints in Labu Besar, addressing 18 complaints involving monkeys and eliminating 52 monkeys using traps and culling methods.
Similarly, nine complaints about wild boars have been recorded, with 10 boars culled.
In Kampung Padang Ubi, the department handled one monkey complaint in October 2021 and one wild boar complaint in August 2022, resulting in the culling of two wild boars.
Jamalul also issued a stern warning to the public against taking independent actions in dealing with wildlife conflicts.