Days in Singapore are starting to feel a little wilder with many viral wildlife encounters this past week. First it was a crocodile sighting off Sentosa on Saturday before a rare Malayan tapir was spotted in Singapore’s Defu on February 2, 2026. In the same city where most people expect mall openings and new brunch spots to dominate the headlines, videos of an endangered Malayan tapir calmly wandering through Defu Lane car park is suddenly stealing the spotlight—reminding residents of just how close we are to nature in our everyday life. Here’s what we know about the rare Malayan tapir sighting in Singapore.
Rare Malayan Tapir sighting Singapore – February 2026
The Malayan tapir was spotted in Defu industrial area near Paya Lebar around 12.30am on February 2. Viral videos show the black-and-white animal peacefully trotting between parked vehicles with its distinctive saddle-like marking clearly visible under the lights. In one clip, a woman can be heard mistaking it for a wild boar—showcasing how rare this sighting is in Singapore.
Authorities say they are monitoring the animal, and have urged the public to stay calm, keep quiet, avoid sudden movements, and most importantly, not to approach or feed it if they happen to cross paths. Plus, you should not use flash photography around it. The species is classified as endangered, with fewer than 3,000 left in the wild globally, making this sighting in Defu Singapore all the more remarkable. Tapir sightings are mostly in the Malay Peninsula, Thailand, Myanmar, and Indonesia.
Meanwhile, authorities remind residents to report any sightings to NParks’ 24-Hour Animal Response Centre at 1800-476-1600 so that officers can respond appropriately.
Although, there has been an increase of tapir sightings in Singapore in recent years. For instance, previous appearances recorded on Pulau Ubin and in the Lorong Halus area likely involved animals that wandered over from Johor.
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