Wild animal injures teen girl working at Taman Negara hotel in freak attack
By R.S.N. Murali, The Star | Thu, Dec 13 2012
Above: Barking deer can be aggressive during the rutting season.
JERANTUT, Malaysia - A 17-year-old hotel worker is still traumatised after being gored on her thighs by a barking deer at Taman Negara here last week.
Nurul Arina Soree was rushed to Bandar Jengka Hospital after the attack on Dec 5. She suffered ghastly injuries, which needed numerous stitches.
Malacca MCA public complaints bureau's deputy chief Dr Yee Kok Wah, who was told about the freak attack, is helping her pay for her follow-up treatment.
Also called kijang or muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak), the barking deer is the most widely distributed of 11 related species in South-East Asia.
The species, usually deemed as wary of humans, measure about a metre in length at most. It can be found on lowland and highland forests in the peninsula.
Nurul Arina, from Felda Jengka 25, Maran, told The Star that she was working outside the hotel at about noon when the male deer, charged at her and chased her until she fell to the ground.
"I tried to fend it off by kicking it but it continued to attack me. It tried to bite my private parts. When I covered them with my hands, it bit my thighs instead.
"I don't know why it was behaving that way. I still cannot get over the attack," she said.
Nurul Arina said the deer only backed off and bolted into the jungle when several other workers who were alerted by her screams, ran to her aid.
"My colleagues are also worried about similar attacks because the deer is often spotted near the hotel," she said, adding that she was still in pain and unable to work due to the injuries.
Dr Yee said his team would prepare a report on the incident for the National parks and Wildlife Department (Perhilitan) to prevent others working in the area from being attacked by wild animals.
He said a zoologist friend had told him that deer could attack humans in certain situations, including when it was startled or cornered or in the case of males, during the rutting season when they were more aggressive.
By R.S.N. Murali, The Star | Thu, Dec 13 2012
Above: Barking deer can be aggressive during the rutting season.
JERANTUT, Malaysia - A 17-year-old hotel worker is still traumatised after being gored on her thighs by a barking deer at Taman Negara here last week.
Nurul Arina Soree was rushed to Bandar Jengka Hospital after the attack on Dec 5. She suffered ghastly injuries, which needed numerous stitches.
Malacca MCA public complaints bureau's deputy chief Dr Yee Kok Wah, who was told about the freak attack, is helping her pay for her follow-up treatment.
Also called kijang or muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak), the barking deer is the most widely distributed of 11 related species in South-East Asia.
The species, usually deemed as wary of humans, measure about a metre in length at most. It can be found on lowland and highland forests in the peninsula.
Nurul Arina, from Felda Jengka 25, Maran, told The Star that she was working outside the hotel at about noon when the male deer, charged at her and chased her until she fell to the ground.
"I tried to fend it off by kicking it but it continued to attack me. It tried to bite my private parts. When I covered them with my hands, it bit my thighs instead.
"I don't know why it was behaving that way. I still cannot get over the attack," she said.
Nurul Arina said the deer only backed off and bolted into the jungle when several other workers who were alerted by her screams, ran to her aid.
"My colleagues are also worried about similar attacks because the deer is often spotted near the hotel," she said, adding that she was still in pain and unable to work due to the injuries.
Dr Yee said his team would prepare a report on the incident for the National parks and Wildlife Department (Perhilitan) to prevent others working in the area from being attacked by wild animals.
He said a zoologist friend had told him that deer could attack humans in certain situations, including when it was startled or cornered or in the case of males, during the rutting season when they were more aggressive.
