Perhilitan's LED road signs seek to slow down motorists near elephant crossing
Its director-general, Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim, said the initiative was taken to alert road users to reduce their speed in order to prevent accidents involving the animals.
"We want to prevent elephants from being involved in accidents, such as the recent case involving an elephant calf in Gerik.
"We are installing signboards with LED lights, including in Gerik, Perak; Ulu Muda, Kedah; and Jerteh, Terengganu,' he said when met by reporters after the World Elephant Day celebration at the National Elephant Conservation Centre on Saturday (Aug 9).
In addition to elephants, the same approach was being used to protect other wild animals, such as tapirs, on Persiaran Mokhtar Dahari, Selangor.
Meanwhile, Abdul Kadir said the number of wild elephants in Peninsular Malaysia was currently estimated to be between 1,500 and 1,800, but the population was declining due to shrinking habitat areas.
"When the elephant habitat shrinks, it forces these wild animals to venture into villages in search of food.
"For Perhilitan, we take steps to relocate the animals to more suitable locations in national parks where they can live and find food more comfortably,' he said. — BernamaPahang, Perhilitan, elephant, LED, habitat
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Barnama
20 hours ago
- Barnama
Perhilitan Ramps Up Efforts To Tackle Human-animal Conflicts
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Financial losses caused by wildlife intrusions nationwide – including wild elephant incursions into plantations, farms and villages, as well as predator attacks such as tigers preying on livestock – amounted to RM46.5 million between 2020 and 2024, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability. All this underscores the fact that human-wildlife conflicts are on the rise, requiring decisive action from the authorities, particularly since most of the wildlife involved are protected under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716). SCALE OF CONFLICT Selangor Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia (Perhilitan) director Wan Mohd Adib Wan Mohd Yusoh said most cases of wildlife disturbances reported in the state involve monkeys. Of the 18,444 complaints received by Perhilitan Selangor from 2023 to May 2025, a total of 14,515 or nearly 80 percent concerned monkeys, with Kajang, Petaling, Sepang and Ampang recording the highest numbers. Wan Mohd Adib Wan Mohd Yusoh. Wan Mohd Adib said these animals are venturing closer to human settlements because their forest habitats are shrinking, adding that human 'interference' is also altering their behaviour. 'One of the main factors driving this change (in behaviour) is humans feeding them. Some people turn feeding into a tourist attraction, but such behaviour alters the natural habits of these wild animals. 'When food is provided regularly, for example, every day at 7 am in the same place, the monkeys are conditioned to come and become dependent on human food, which is tastier, higher in protein, sweeter and fattier. 'This changes their natural instincts to the point where they no longer want to forage for their own food,' he told Bernama. He said monkeys are among animal species that learn quickly and adapt easily to change, making them less fearful of humans. 'Conflict occurs when human and wildlife activities overlap, increasing the risk of harm to both humans and the animals themselves,' he explained. However, he noted that patterns of wildlife disturbance vary depending on the local geography and the type of development in the area. 'Still, we cannot view this conflict as an issue of involving a single species… rather, it is an ecosystem-wide problem. Issues such as property damage, waste management and public safety are a reflection of this conflict,' he added. CONTROL STRATEGY On measures taken to address the issue, Wan Mohd Adib said Perhilitan Selangor follows established standard operating procedures, beginning with an on-site investigation and risk assessment before taking physical action such as scaring wild animals away with gunfire or capturing and relocating them. In critical situations where aggressive animals threaten human safety, a 'shoot-to-kill operation' will be carried out. For other species, such as wild boars, the control approach requires greater safety considerations due to their size and potential danger, including conducting joint operations with local authorities. Among the main causes of human-animal conflict are forest heavy exploration, overdevelopment, poor food waste management and the practice of feeding wild animals. 'Complaints about wild boars usually come to us through the local authorities, and their presence is often linked to food sources from poorly managed waste disposal… that's the main factor attracting these animals. 'Collaboration with local authorities is essential, for example, to temporarily close off operation areas during trap installation or pest eradication operations to ensure public safety,' he explained. At the national level, Perhilitan has reportedly implemented several support initiatives, including introducing a scheme to compensate communities whose crops and property are damaged by wildlife attacks. 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Wildlife conflict is the clash between human activities and animals that threatens human safety, well-being, or property, while also endangering the lives and safety of the animals. He said the department is also proactive in finding more humane solutions to control the populations of wildlife, such as monkeys. 'Perhilitan is working with Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) to develop an oral contraceptive (for monkeys to reduce their populations) which hopefully can offer a sustainable solution (to human-monkey conflicts), as physical methods like capture and relocation are only temporary fixes,' he said. Elaborating on the oral contraceptive, senior lecturer in wildlife management at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, UPM, Dr Tengku Rinalfi Putra Tengku Azizan said they are using a combination of two hormones commonly found in human contraceptive pills – ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel – which can be incorporated into food bait. 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The Star
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The Star
a day ago
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South Africa marks World Elephant Day with renewed conservation pledge
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