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Malayan tapirs hit by the floods seen wandering in Kuantan

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You may have seen them at the zoo. Now, Malayan tapirs have been seen on flooded roads in Malaysia.

The endangered animals, affected by the severe flooding in a number of Malaysian states, were spotted in Pahang.

Video clips posted online show them wading through the water near cars and houses.

An adult tapir and a young one, possibly its offspring, were seen at Bukit Rangin Perdana in the state capital Kuantan, the New Straits Times (NST) reported.

They seem to be lost, and may have been looking for food. They scurry away when they sense people are around.

The Pahang Wildlife and National Parks Department sent personnel to inspect the housing settlement after getting a report about the sighting.

"We have been monitoring the tapirs and they appear to have fled towards a forested and hilly area behind Bukit Rangin,” NST quoted the department’s director Rozidan Md Yasin as saying.

Malayan tapirs are herbivorous and are excellent swimmers. Scientists believe they have changed little in tens of millions of years. But now it is estimated that there are fewer than 2,000 of them around.

Netizens commented it was sad to see that these beautiful creatures had also been affected by the devastating floods, which have displaced some 70,000 residents in seven states and left 37 people dead.

Watch the videos here:

 

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