Villagers remain on high alert after a sun bear was spotted roaming a Dungun village, with sightings even reported within a school compound. ‘dirty’ conditions

DUNGUN, Jan 17 — About 1,300 residents of Kampung Durian Mentangau here have been living in fear after a sun bear was seen roaming the village over the past two weeks, even entering the compound of Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Durian Mentangau in search of food.

Deputy chairman of the Kampung Durian Village Development and Security Committee (JPKK), Mazlan Mansor, said the situation has raised serious safety concerns among villagers.

“Our main worry is at night, especially when the bear appears near residential areas,” he told reporters today. Mazlan added that he personally encountered the bear on Jan 8 near an oil palm plantation.

Due to the threat, residents have become more vigilant and cautious when leaving their homes after dark, he said.

In response, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) has installed traps at the school and several other locations, while closely monitoring the situation. Authorities believe the sun bear may have wandered out from the nearby Bukit Gong Forest Reserve.

Meanwhile, local farmer Osman Ismail, 66, said he suffered losses of about RM1,000 after the bear damaged several coconut trees that were close to bearing fruit.

“It’s a big loss for me as the trees were almost ready to produce,” he said. — Bernama