BALING: It was about 7.30pm when a family heard weird noises in front of their house in Kampung Telok Temelah, Bongor, near here, yesterday.
Suspecting it was an animal, they looked around using a flashlight but could not find the source of the sound.
This led the family to rope in the Civil Defence Force (APM).
Their question was answered when APM officers caught a bearcat or 'musang binturong'.
Baling district APM officer Lt (PA) Mohd Faizol Ab Aziz said they received a call at about 7.40pm and four officers were dispatched to the scene.
"APM officers took 30 minutes to catch the animal that weighed four kilogrammes and was hiding in some pandan bushes.
"Musang Binturong or its scientific name 'Arctictis Binturong' was believed to have come from the Gunung Inas forest nearby looking for food and had gotten lost," he said when contacted today.
Mohd Faizol informed that this was Baling APM's first catch of a bearcat and the animal was handed over to the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia (Perhilitan).
He added that the public can contact the Baling APM at 04-4701626 for any emergencies.