Malaysian lorry driver attacked by panther receives over 30 stitches to his head

PETALING JAYA, Malaysia - A lorry driver who was attacked by a panther when he stopped at Bukit Tangga in Malaysia on April 3 received more than 30 stitches to his head.

Mr A Suresh, 54, who lives in Klang, Selangor, was allowed to be discharged from Tuanku Jaafar Hospital after receiving treatment for three days.

He expressed his gratitude, saying that he only suffered injuries from the animal’s claws, but admitted he is still traumatised.

“Until now, I still can’t sleep well because I keep having nightmares of the panther attacking me. I don’t even know where it came from, but it was really shocking and frightening,” he told Sinar Harian on April 7.

Describing the incident in more detail, the father of two said that he was on his way back to Kuala Lumpur after delivering chicken feed in Jelebu.

He explained that he stopped at the location to check the condition of his lorry and to relieve himself.

“While I was washing my hands, the panther jumped onto me and tried to bite my head, but I managed to push a water bottle into its mouth. If I hadn’t, I would definitely be dead, and the wounds on my head were just from its claws,” he said.

He added that he was fortunate because another vehicle stopped in front of him and helped him contact the ambulance.

Mr Suresh advised lorry drivers and road users to be cautious when passing through that area and to stop in safe places.

“During the six years I’ve been commuting to Jelebu, I’ve never seen a panther in that area. The Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) visited me in the hospital and told me that the panther that attacked me was estimated to weigh 80 to 90kg,” said Mr Suresh,