Article about tiger triggering panic at Malaysian golf club is fabricated
- Published on August 5, 2026 at 10:50
- 2 min read
- By Najmi MAMAT, AFP Malaysia
There have been several sightings of critically endangered tigers outside their natural habitat in Malaysia over the past year, but a purported news report circulating on social media about one prowling the greens of a golf course is a fabrication. The report was mocked up to look as if it were from the Utusan Malaysia newspaper, which has denied publishing any such article. The country club where the incident was supposed to have occurred also refuted the claims, saying there had been no tiger sighting.
"Tiger Spotted at Bukit Unggul Golf Course, Players Panic, Game Halted Immediately," says the Malay-language headline of what appears to be an article on the front page of the Utusan Malaysia newspaper.
The purported report, shared on Facebook on July 30, 2026, says a tiger was spotted at a golf club in Sepang, a district about 50 kilometres (31 miles) from the capital Kuala Lumpur. An image appearing to show a tiger walking across the course is also featured.
It was also shared in similar Facebook posts.
Malayan tigers are a critically endangered species, with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) estimating that fewer than 150 individuals remain in the wild (archived link).
Conservationists say poaching, habitat loss and increasing human-wildlife conflict are severe threats to the local tiger population (archived link).
Malayan tigers have been spotted several times outside their natural habitat within the past year, with sightings reported on highways, near rivers close to residential areas, and at a plantation (archived here, here and here).
But claims one was seen roaming around a golf course are false, and the purported news report about the incident is a fabrication.
A keyword search on Google led to an article published by Utusan Malaysia on July 30, where the newspaper denied publishing the circulating report (archived link).
"Utusan Malaysia regrets the actions of irresponsible parties who used the name of this newspaper to spread false news that could cause public anxiety," it said.
A comparison of the fabricated report with a genuine Utusan Malaysia front page reveals several visual discrepancies in the masthead, the colour of the page's background and the alignment of text.
A subsequent keyword search led to a separate statement issued by the Bukit Unggul Country Club on its official Facebook page on July 30, calling the circulating report "false" (archived link).
"No such incident has occurred at our golf course. A police report has been lodged regarding the dissemination of this false information," it said.
AFP reached out to the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia for comment, but did not receive a response by time of publication.
Fabricated news content is often used to spread false claims.
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