GUA Naga Mas in Gopeng will be temporarily closed starting today, to allow for research work on a vertebrate fossil, believed to be that of an ancient tiger, embedded in the ceiling of the cave.

Perak Tourism, Arts and Culture Committee chairman Tan Kar Hing said the cave is a place of worship for Buddhists, and talks on the closure were held with the Gopeng Buddhists’ Association beforehand.

The cave will be closed off for at least three months. The research will be carried out by a group of archaeologists and geologists from various government agencies and departments, as well as public university lecturers.

The closure is also to avoid damage to or theft of the fossil.

“A technical committee will be set up under the Kinta Valley National Geopark Advisory Council to determine the ‘identity’ of the fossil and the state government’s plans for the fossil,” Tan told a press conference after a working visit to the cave yesterday.

He said the fossil, dating back between 2.5 million and 11,000 years, was discovered by a group of researchers in 1992. – Bernama, October 9, 2018.