“I Heard Him Scream”: The Son Who Saw A Tiger Take His Father

Zamberi Angah, 42, and his son Joe entered the Korbu Forest Reserve in Perak at 8 am to gather rattan. Seven hours later, Joe heard his father scream and ran for help. Perhilitan found Zamberi’s body 200 metres from the attack site, near a bamboo clump, at 6.58 pm.

MG Perak FB / Unsplash

In Brief

A 42-year-old Orang Asli man, Zamberi Angah, was killed in a suspected tiger attack whilst searching for rattan in Perak.
A joint search operation involving police, Civil Defence, and villagers recovered the victim near a bamboo clump approximately 200 metres from the attack site.
Perhilitan has set tiger traps in the area and urges the public not to approach or take independent action against any tiger spotted.

Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter, or Telegram and WhatsApp channels for the latest stories and updates.

Zamberi Angah’s son heard his father scream just before he was dragged away by a tiger – a moment he has since recounted to villagers and authorities.

His son, Joe, said the pair had gone into the Korbu Forest Reserve at around 8am to search for rattan, and decided to head back at about 3pm after spending hours in the forest.

Joe was walking ahead of his father on the way back. He said he suddenly heard his father cry out from behind him, turned around, screamed, and saw the tiger pulling his father away.

Overcome with fear, Joe said he ran to alert the villagers.

Zamberi, 42, was later found dead in a bamboo clump near a logging road, roughly 200 metres from where the attack is believed to have taken place.

Perhilitan received a report on the incident at about 4.30pm. Its Wildlife Conservation Unit and Sungai Siput district personnel rushed to the location.

A joint search operation began at 6.30pm. It involved the Lintang police station, the Civil Defence Force (APM), the People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela), and around 30 villagers and logging workers.

Zamberi was found at about 6.58pm.

Lintang assemblyman Datuk Mohd Zolkafly Harun said tiger paw prints and other indications were found at the scene. He urged the public not to circulate photos of the victim’s body out of respect for the family.

Perhilitan’s Response

Perhilitan said its team would search the area, gather preliminary information, inspect the site and investigate to determine the actual circumstances of the incident.

A Perhilitan spokesman said the department would gather information from locals, set traps in strategic locations, and handle the situation based on on-site investigations and the safety risks to villagers.

Rela personnel have since assisted Perhilitan in setting up a tiger trap in Kampung Takung.

The department advised residents and the public not to approach, chase, capture, or take independent action against a tiger if spotted, and to report any sightings to the authorities immediately.

Investigations into the incident are ongoing.

Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s Facebook, X, Instagram, or Threads.