Terengganu: The Terengganu Wildlife Department has stepped up the hunt for two people, one of them a foreigner, who removed two fangs of a tigress rammed to death by a vehicle as it crossed the East Coast Expressway 2 on Feb 6. Director Mohd Hasdi Husin also appealed to the public to provide any information they might have on the duo, believed to be aged between 20 and 30.
"We view this matter (of stealing the fangs) seriously as it is a crime under the Wildlife Conservation Act," he said.
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He said the department had obtained statements from seven people, including the driver of the vehicle that knocked down the tigress as well as highway personnel on duty that day.
Mohd Hasdi said the department did not discount the possibility that the two suspects were connected to the theft after a photograph of them with the tigress went viral several days ago.
"We have a sketch of their faces and are now trying to track them down; the image is being analysed for identification," he said.
It is understood that the two left fangs of the tigress, measuring between 6.4 and 7.6 centimetres, were stolen on the day of the accident.
Mohd Hasdi said the department was also analysing the video recording at the toll plazas along the highway to find out the registration number of the suspects' vehicle.
He urged people with information, photographs or video recordings of the incident to come forward to the department or call 09-6221460.
The tigress, weighing about 100kg and pregnant, was crossing the highway at Km321.2 at 1am on Feb 6 when an MPV going from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Terengganu rammed it. – Bernama
