Batu Caves, the 400 million-year-old limestone cave near Kuala Lumpur, is under threat of development again with land on the foothills cleared for what appears to be an unapproved development project metres from the iconic Sri Muruga statue.

Land clearing and excavation work, as part of plans to build a spiritual centre, risks impacting the historical limestone formations and the surrounding fauna, some found nowhere else in the world, an expert said.

Checks found two plots of land belonging to...