[Watch] Langkawi Kid VS Dog Case: CCTV Footage Paints A Picture
A concerned local emphasised on not blaming the child or the dogs, and called for a multi-faceted approach on the issue.
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The question of whose fault is it when it comes to a case of a young child versus a pack of dogs should be as clear as day. Neither party is guilty because a kid is a kid and dogs are dogs.
However, whenever there is a case of dog attacks in Malaysia, animal lovers will always find themselves being “hunted” by netizens who insist they are somehow to blame.
In the most recent dog attack case, a four-year-old boy sustained serious injuries to his head and wounds all over the rest of his body in Kampung Dedek, Langkawi.
According to The Star, Langkawi District Police Chief Assistant Commissioner Shariman Ashari said “the boy was surrounded and attacked by the dogs” in the incident which happened at 10.30am on Saturday (1 March).
CCTV Footage Emerges
A CCTV video footage has emerged of the incident in which it shows the four-year-old boy was in the area alone.
From what we can see, it looked like the boy was walking towards the pack of dogs who were under a tree.
He then ran and the dogs chased him.
However, at one point, the dogs gave up and turned around. The boy was still standing and did not appear to have been attacked yet.
The boy stood alone for a spell as the dogs had moved away.
The boy then ran towards the dogs, finding himself surrounded by them as he raised his hand and motioned a kick.
As he was surrounded, at some point the dogs pounced on him and he fell which was possibly when he sustained the injuries from the attack.
A man on a bike happened to pass by at the time and he chased the dogs away as he took the kid to safety.
Earlier, the police in its statement said the attack happened near the boy’s house and a cemetery in the area, and the boy was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The boy’s mother and hospital authorities lodged a police report regarding the incident.
Photos and videos of the boy sitting with his head covered in blood has since gone viral on social media.
A concerned citizen raises valid concerns
TRP received the CCTV footage from an anonymous source who highlighted a reasonable concern regarding the incident.
Along with the footage, we also spoke to a concerned citizen who also wished to remain anonymous, who shared their perspective on the issue. They emphasised on not blaming either the child or the dogs.
“Understandably, such incidents stir strong emotions within the community, especially regarding the increasing presence of wild stray animals in our surroundings,” the citizen said.
They also urge others to address the issue with a well-rounded perspective, rather than focusing on selective facts that may intensify the existing negative sentiments towards wild and stray animals.
Why a child was left unsupervised?
The Langkawi local observed in the CCTV footage that the stray dogs look familiar with their surroundings, implying the fact that they have always roamed around the area.
“What raises significant concern, however, is why a four-year-old was left unsupervised in such a remote location,” they said.
In the citizen’s observation of the CCTV footage, they mentioned that the dogs were barking and making advances towards the boy, but at some point, there was already a considerable distance between both boy and dogs.
Addressing this issue requires a multi-faceted approach
The citizen said their views was not to place blame on the child, noting that the boy was innocent and his actions were likely of a child who was unaware of the potential risks of the situation he was in.
Instead of assigning blame or shifting the responsibility onto non-governmental organisations (NGO) or animal lovers, the concerned citizen urged the public to acknowledge the incident as a broader community issue that requires proactive and collective solutions.
Langkawi is home to diverse species of animals and its residents must recognise the importance of coexisting with its many inhabitants, wild and stray animals included.
“Addressing the issue effectively requires a multi-faceted approach, with sustainable population control through neutering programmes playing a key role,” the citizen said.
They also highlighted community education on how to safely respond to encounters with wild animals as a way to prevent incidents similar to what happened to the boy from happening in the future, noting that many people don’t realise that certain actions such as running, making loud noises, or attempting to chase animals away with sticks may provoke defensive reactions.
The concerned citizen reminded parents and guardians to be vigilant in ensuring that young children are not left unattended, particularly in remote areas where the risk of encounters with wild animals are high.
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