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'The tapir overtook me'.

A cyclist in a park experienced an unusual encounter when a tapir went past him during his usual morning ride at Punggol Park Connector, Singapore, on Monday. The incident occurred at 6:25 am when he heard 'something' running behind him, initially mistaking it for a horse.

"I thought I was hearing a horse approaching from behind me. I slowed down and allowed it to pass, only to realise it was a tapir! I was not chasing. I was just continuing my ride while filming it," Pong Pasodas said in a Facebook posting.

He was both surprised and awestruck by the presence of this endangered creature. Nevertheless, he emphasised in his Facebook post that he maintained a safe distance and promptly turned around when the tapir stopped walking.

Netizens who watched the video were shocked to see the mammal in a park in the wee hours and also expressed their gratitude to him for providing the video as proof.

Facebook user @Alfred Tan commented 'Dude training for marathon'.

Another Facebook user @Z.Y. Koh said "Chill people I think the Tapir adapting to local culture.."

@Francis Sau said "Good job for tracking with video as a show of proof, and for the relevant authorities to follow up accordingly."

Although a few online users reacted with surprise and fear upon seeing it, the majority expressed greater concern for the welfare of the animal.

"We have taken away their natural habitats.. Thank God there was no unpleasant episode. This video would be top evidence, along with the other eyewitnesses seen in the video. I really hope government agencies/ACRES would step up on the safety intervention for park users awareness." said Facebook user, @Mardiana Jamil.

Meanwhile @Rais Ismail said "Tapir...basically, running for its life. We will see more wildlife now because more natural habitats are being developed. Sustainability?"