'I heard my father scream': Son recalls dad being dragged away in fatal Malaysia tiger attack
Tiger paw prints and other clues were found at the location where his body was discovered.
PHOTO: Screengrab/Harian Metro
PUBLISHED ONSeptember 23, 2026 4:17 AMBYAsyiqin Nadzri
A 23-year-old man recalled the terrifying moment he witnessed his father being attacked and dragged away by a tiger in Sungai Siput, Perak, Malaysia.
Joe Zamberi and his 42-year-old father, Zamberi Angah, had gone to the Korbu Forest Reserve in Kampung Takung, Pos Perwor, at around 8am on Monday (Sept 21) to collect rattan.
The pair decided to return home at around 3pm, reported the New Straits Times.
Joe said he was walking ahead of his father when he suddenly heard him scream.
"I heard my father scream. I turned around and screamed too. Then it (the tiger) dragged my father away," he told NST.
"I was scared, so I ran and immediately called the villagers."
Joe, who was still shaken when speaking to reporters, said he found it difficult to describe what had happened.
He also became emotional when asked about his relationship with his father and his dad's final message, and was unable to continue speaking.
Father's body found in bamboo grove
Zamberi was found dead at around 6.58pm on Monday in a bamboo grove near a logging road, about 200 metres from where the attack took place.
Bite marks were found on the victim's neck, and parts of his right knee had been eaten up to the waist, reported Malay Mail.
Tiger paw prints and other clues were found at the location where his body was discovered.
Lintang assemblyman Datuk Mohd Zolkafly Harun wrote in a Facebook post that the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) received a report about the incident at around 4.30pm before a search operation began at about 6.30pm.
The search involved police officers from the Lintang police station, members of the Malaysian Volunteers Corps (Rela), as well as around 30 villagers and logging workers.
"The incident occurred in the Korbu Forest Reserve and is very unfortunate and will surely leave a deep impression on the family and the entire local community," he said.
He added that a tiger trap will be installed in the near future, and urged the authorities to promptly carry out monitoring and control measures to ensure public safety, particularly for Orang Asli communities that depend on the forest for their livelihood.
[[nid:744907]]