A cyclist spotted a tapir running along a park connector in Punggol on the morning of Sep. 10

He shared a footage of the sighting on Facebook.

This may be the second sighting of a Malayan tapir (Tapirus indices) on mainland Singapore this year, Ryan Lee, the group director of wildlife management at the National Parks Board said.

Lee said that the agency is aware of the sighting by the cyclist and NParks staff have been deployed on the ground to monitor the area for sightings of the tapir.

Sightings of tapirs in the wild in Singapore are rare.

The first time a tapir was seen this year was July 22. It was also spotted at Punggol.

NParks' advisory

Lee advised members of the public who encounter the tapir to remain calm and quiet.

They are also advised not make any sudden movements or attempt to approach or feed the animal.

Members of the public should keep a safe distance and not corner or provoke the animal.

They should avoid using flash photography.

If you encounter a tapir or face any wildlife-related issues, you can call NParks' 24-hour Animal Response Centre at 1800 476 1600 or the Acres wildlife rescue team at 9783 7782.

Top image via screenshot of video by Pong Pasadas/Facebook and Wikipedia