Perhilitan Ramps Up Efforts To Tackle Human-Animal Conflicts

The presence of stray animals such as dogs and cats, along with wildlife like monkeys, in urban areas is not a new issue. However, in some areas, the problem has escalated to a worrying level, with residents claiming that authorities are slow to act on their complaints.

The final article in this three-part special report examines the role of Perhilitan in addressing human-wildlife conflicts in residential areas, particularly in urban settings.

In the past, wild boars would only venture into villages in remote rural areas. These days, however, the animals can be sighted in urban areas, especially in newly developed townships.

Viral posts on social media have also shown other animals, such as the endangered tapir, wandering into residential areas in apparent search of food – as happened in Rembau, Negeri Sembilan, in March this year. Earlier, in January, a wild elephant was spotted roaming in Taman Seri Impian in Kluang, Johor.

Financial losses caused by wildlife intrusions nationwide – including wild elephant incursions into plantations, farms and villages, as well as predator attacks such as tigers preying on livestock ­– amounted to RM46.5 million between 2020 and 2024, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability.

All this underscores the fact that human-wildlife conflicts are on the rise, requiring decisive action from the authorities, particularly since most of the wildlife involved are protected under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716).

SCALE OF CONFLICT

Selangor Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia (Perhilitan) director Wan Mohd Adib Wan Mohd Yusoh said most cases of wildlife disturbances reported in the state involve monkeys.

Of the 18,444 complaints received by Perhilitan Selangor from 2023 to May 2025, a total of 14,515 or nearly 80 percent concerned monkeys, with Kajang, Petaling, Sepang and Ampang recording the highest numbers.

Wan Mohd Adib Wan Mohd Yusoh.

Wan Mohd Adib said these animals are venturing closer to human settlements because their forest habitats are shrinking, adding that human “interference” is also altering their behaviour.

“One of the main factors driving this change (in behaviour) is humans feeding them. Some people turn feeding into a tourist attraction, but such behaviour alters the natural habits of these wild animals.

“When food is provided regularly, for example, every day at 7 am in the same place, the monkeys are conditioned to come and become dependent on human food, which is tastier, higher in protein, sweeter and fattier.

“This changes their natural instincts to the point where they no longer want to forage for their own food,” he told Bernama.

He said monkeys are among animal species that learn quickly and adapt easily to change, making them less fearful of humans.

“Conflict occurs when human and wildlife activities overlap, increasing the risk of harm to both humans and the animals themselves,” he explained.

However, he noted that patterns of wildlife disturbance vary depending on the local geography and the type of development in the area.

“Still, we cannot view this conflict as an issue of involving a single species… rather, it is an ecosystem-wide problem. Issues such as property damage, waste management and public safety are a reflection of this conflict,” he added.

CONTROL STRATEGY

On measures taken to address the issue, Wan Mohd Adib said Perhilitan Selangor follows established standard operating procedures, beginning with an on-site investigation and risk assessment before taking physical action such as scaring wild animals away with gunfire or capturing and relocating them. In critical situations where aggressive animals threaten human safety, a “shoot-to-kill operation” will be carried out.

For other species, such as wild boars, the control approach requires greater safety considerations due to their size and potential danger, including conducting joint operations with local authorities.

Among the main causes of human-animal conflict are forest heavy exploration, overdevelopment, poor food waste management and the practice of feeding wild animals.

“Complaints about wild boars usually come to us through the local authorities, and their presence is often linked to food sources from poorly managed waste disposal… that’s the main factor attracting these animals.

“Collaboration with local authorities is essential, for example, to temporarily close off operation areas during trap installation or pest eradication operations to ensure public safety,” he explained.

At the national level, Perhilitan has reportedly implemented several support initiatives, including introducing a scheme to compensate communities whose crops and property are damaged by wildlife attacks. The scheme has been allocated RM10 million.

Perhilitan also conducts joint operations with agencies such as the Malaysian Civil Defence Force, Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia and Village Development and Security Committees (JKKK) to address human-wildlife conflicts during floods and other emergencies.

STRENGTHEN CONFLICT MANAGEMENT PLAN

Wan Mohd Adib also said conflicts often occur in buffer zones around development projects, especially new ones.

In this context, he said every new development project must submit an Environmental Impact Assessment report that includes a Wildlife Management Plan, which must receive Perhilitan’s approval.

“This plan covers wildlife conflict mitigation measures such as (installation of) security fencing, wildlife crossings and warning signs, as well as waste management,” he said.

He added that Perhilitan works closely with agencies such as the Public Works Department to implement these measures as well as regularly monitor the implementation.

Wildlife conflict is the clash between human activities and animals that threatens human safety, well-being, or property, while also endangering the lives and safety of the animals.

He said the department is also proactive in finding more humane solutions to control the populations of wildlife, such as monkeys.

“Perhilitan is working with Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) to develop an oral contraceptive (for monkeys to reduce their populations) which hopefully can offer a sustainable solution (to human-monkey conflicts), as physical methods like capture and relocation are only temporary fixes,” he said.

Elaborating on the oral contraceptive, senior lecturer in wildlife management at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, UPM, Dr Tengku Rinalfi Putra Tengku Azizan said they are using a combination of two hormones commonly found in human contraceptive pills – ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel – which can be incorporated into food bait.

“These hormones work by preventing female monkeys from producing key reproductive hormones. When this process is disrupted, they cannot become pregnant,” he said in an interview with Bernama.

Initial tests showed the hormone bait to be highly effective when tested on caged monkeys. He added that its effects can be reversed if the hormones are no longer administered. The research also succeeded in determining the dosage and formula that can be incorporated into the food bait.

“This approach is not only more humane but also more sustainable in the long term,” he said, adding that public support is vital to its success.

The process simply involves placing the hormone bait in areas frequently visited by monkeys in search of food.

“The monkeys will consume it on their own, and monitoring can be done by photographing the troop from time to time to see whether the number of young monkeys is decreasing or increasing,” he added.

MORE SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

Meanwhile, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia lecturer Associate Professor Dr Azlan Abas called for more humane and sustainable solutions to address the presence of stray animals such as dogs and cats in urban areas.

Azlan, who is attached to the university’s Environmental Management Programme, said the issue reflects a “crisis in planning, policy gaps and a lack of empathy in modern urban systems”.

He said the solution requires an integrated and systematic approach rather than temporary ad hoc measures.

Pointing to a recent proposal by the Negeri Sembilan government to cull stray dogs after more than 400 complaints were lodged by the public, he said implementing the ‘Trap-Neuter-Release’ (TNR) method proposed by animal welfare groups such as SPCA Malaysia is not only a more ethical solution but also more sustainable in the long term.

“From an ecological perspective, animals such as cats and dogs play a role in maintaining a city or town’s ecological balance by naturally controlling small animal populations such as rats. Aggressive culling can disrupt the urban food chain and trigger unforeseen side effects.

A wild tapir filmed entering a public settlement has raised public concern over the drastic increase in human-animal conflict.

“TNR also offers a more financially sustainable solution. Although its initial implementation cost is high, the animal population will gradually decrease over time, making long-term maintenance costs lower than continuous capture-and-cull methods, which must be repeated indefinitely without providing a permanent solution. This makes TNR a smart initial investment,” he added.

He also stressed that without a national policy capable of coordinating action across agencies and states, local authorities will continue to act reactively based on limited resources and pressure.

Azlan proposed the establishment of a Malaysian Urban Animal Management Centre as a national coordinating body to formulate policies on mitigating human-animal conflict, conduct training, monitor implementation and coordinate inter-agency action involving Perhilitan, local authorities and non-governmental organisations.

“Overseas models can be used as references. Taiwan, for example, has a collaborative TNR programme, implemented since 2017. In Singapore, the myENV (mobile) application allows the public to report stray animal sightings through real-time geolocation. This data is sent directly to relevant agencies for prompt, evidence-based action. It also helps identify animal migration patterns, active breeding areas and public health risk hotspots in real time,” he said.

He said Malaysia could also develop a similar smart system, injecting scientific elements, accountability and effectiveness into urban animal management.

“Development should not disregard the existence of other creatures. We must build cities that are fair to all living beings, not just clean and modern,” the environmental sustainability expert stressed.

Malaysia now stands at a critical crossroads — to either maintain the reactive and risky status quo or move forward with a progressive, sustainable and humane national policy. The time has come to choose a bolder and more visionary path forward.