Battling for elephant safety on East-West Highway [WATCH]

New Straits Times

18-05-2025

KUALA LUMPUR: Change doesn't happen overnight — especially when it comes to protecting elephants in one of Peninsular Malaysia's last great wildernesses.
But along the treacherous 120km stretch of the East-West Highway, efforts are being ramped up.
Cutting through the heart of the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex — home to elephants, tigers and Malayan tapirs — the highway has become a deadly corridor for wildlife and motorists alike.
Perak Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director Yusoff Shariff said they've identified around 40 elephant crossing points along the road, underscoring just how active the area is.
"This highway slices right through a critical elephant habitat," he told the New Sunday Times.
"And we're seeing crossings very often."
To reduce the risk of collisions, 19 warning signs and 17 streetlights have been put up, with more on the way as new hotspots emerge. Plans are also underway to install speed breakers and LED-lit warning signs.
"These seem like small steps, but on roads like these, small things save lives," said Yusoff.
Yet he warned: "There's no one-size-fits-all solution. Elephant movement is dynamic — it changes with food sources, terrain and habitat pressures."
Among the long-term fixes is the construction of wildlife viaducts — but these come with their own set of challenges.
"It can take up to two years to build just one crossing. The construction noise itself can drive animals away. Even after completion, we have to "rewild" the site — plant native trees, provide food sources, and set up salt licks — just to coax animals to use it."
One success story, he said, is a 200-metre viaduct built in 2015 at a cost of RM26 million. Camera traps have since captured elephants, tapirs and even tigers using it.
Beyond the highway, Perhilitan has installed electric fencing in three villages to keep elephants away, besides reducing the likelihood of them wandering onto roads.
But the issue goes deeper.
"Every development project — plantations, roads or forest clearing — must undergo an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)," Yusoff stressed.
"And every EIA must come with proper wildlife mitigation plans. If relocation is needed, it must be done professionally — that's our job."
Perhilitan also deploys a dedicated patrol unit along the highway to scare elephants away — but the dark, winding road is long and unpredictable.
"Elephants can appear anywhere and it's dangerous work," he admitted.
His advice for motorists: Avoid travelling at night.
"Stick to driving between 10am and 4pm — that's usually when the elephants are resting."
And never feed them.
"When people feed elephants, they learn to associate roads with food — and that's when the danger really begins."