Perak for people, pachyderms

The Star

01-05-2025

THE elephant population in the Hulu Perak district is frequently reported to have damaged crops and villagers' property, sparking concerns.
Elephants, similar to the Malayan tiger, tapir, panther and most other large mammal species, are fully protected under Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.
Thus, in balancing the interests of both humans and elephants, the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) adopts a delicate approach.
Electric fencing
Perak Perhilitan director Yusoff Sharif, in an interview with Bernama, said one of the measures taken by his department was the installation of electric fences in Sungai Siput and Gerik, areas frequently affected by elephant incursions.
Above: Wild elephants are frequently reported damaging crops and villagers' property in Gerik, sparking concerns.Left: Perhilitan personnel relocating an elephant at Kampung Orang Asli Talang, Pos Perwor in Sungai Siput. — Photos: Bernama
As of March, he said it had five electric fences covering approximately 85km to prevent elephants from entering villages and agricultural areas.
'Secondly, we conduct elephant deterrence operations.
'When we receive a complaint, we go to the field and carry out these operations, either by firing warning shots into the air or making loud noises to scare the elephants back into the forest,' he said.
'However, if the elephant refuses to return to the forest, we will proceed with a capture-and-relocation operation.'
Wild elephants spotted crossing a river near the East-West Highway.
Yusoff said Perak Perhilitan also collaborated with several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to raise public awareness of human-elephant conflicts and encourage preventive measures.
'For instance, we advise the public to instal their own electric fences or create physical barriers such as trenches.
'In specific cases, like along the Gerik-Jeli road, we have put up warning signs about elephants in 15 locations.
'We have also installed streetlights in collaboration with Public Works Department (JKR) to help road users see their surroundings more clearly and drive cautiously in case animals are present,' he said.
Additionally, Perhilitan has fitted satellite collars on elephants, particularly the female leader of herds, to monitor the animals' movements.
'If elephants approach farmland or a village, we can deploy a team to drive them back.
'We are also conducting socio-economic studies on the human-elephant conflict, including assessing financial losses and community responses.
'This is done in collaboration with several universities,' he added.
Elephant sanctuary
In addition, Yusoff said a conservation centre – Perak Elephant Sanctuary – would be established in Gerik to house elephants involved in conflicts with humans.
He said in principle, Perak government had agreed to allocate 80.9ha of land in Batu 11, along the East-West Highway in Gerik, for the sanctuary.
The sanctuary's development plan, he said, consisted of two main components – elephant conservation and ecotourism.
'The conservation efforts will focus on education and safety, while the ecotourism component aims to utilise the surrounding areas of Royal Belum Forest and Lenggong Geopark,' he said.
The sanctuary's development plan will be proposed under the 13th Malaysia Plan.
'We have presented this plan at Perhilitan's headquarters and the next step is to present it to the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry before submitting it to the Economy Ministry.
'Although still in the proposal stage, Perhilitan and Perak government are committed to making this project a reality.
'However, the final decision rests with the Federal Government,' he said.
Yusoff highlighted that the setting up the sanctuary would help reduce human-elephant conflicts in Perak by 50% to 60%.
'Elephants roam in search of food, but if they have sufficient food, they won't stray too far,' he said.
'Therefore, we will ensure that the sanctuary provides everything they need, including pools for bathing and most importantly, adequate food supply.'
He also noted that the construction of the sanctuary would indirectly enhance the state and country's international image, showcasing Malaysia's commitment to protecting its wildlife.
Yusoff: Perhilitan unit patrols the East-West Highway to drive elephants back to the forest.
Jumbo challenges
On allegations that Perhilitan had failed to act on the presence of elephants on the East-West Highway, thereby endangering road users, Yusoff said his department had a special unit that patrolled the area to drive pachyderms back into the forest.
'However, with elephant sightings spanning over 100km of winding, hilly roads with no phone coverage, our team often faces delays in reaching the location.
'In most cases, we only receive reports after the incident has occurred,' he explained.
Perhilitan has identified 35 locations where elephants are likely to wander onto the highway.
'Our personnel usually scare the elephants away by banging on tins and shouting.
'We only use firecrackers or fire warning shots if the animals refuse to return to the forest.
'But sometimes, these animals seem to recognise our staff. Perhaps they associate us with the loud noises used to drive them away, so they run off as soon as they spot us.
'For those that don't immediately move, we usually just need to shout and they will retreat into the forest,' said Yusoff.
However, he warned the public not to attempt similar actions.
He also advised road users travelling from Gerik to Jeli, Kelantan, to plan their journeys and use the route only between 11am and 4pm to reduce the chance of encounters.
'During that period, elephants are usually not around. They tend to be on the road in the early morning, early evening and at night.
'So, for those concerned about encountering these animals, it's best to travel during this time frame,' he said.
He explained that elephants were less active during these hours and usually rested in shaded areas.
'This means the elephants are usually in the forest – wallowing, resting or sleeping,' he said.
Yusoff added that the animals were also drawn to the road due to the abundance of grass.
'Do not feed the animals'
Yusoff said animals often responded to their environment or stress factors, which was why humans were discouraged from interfering too much in their lives, as it could alter their natural behaviour.
'For example, we always advise people not to feed monkeys because it changes their habits.
'They stop foraging for food on their own and become dependent on humans.
'They no longer want to eat fruits from the forest. When they see humans, they assume there's food,' he said.
Similarly, Yusoff expressed concerns that elephants might also develop unnatural behaviours due to human intervention, particularly if they were fed by road users.
'We strongly advise the public, especially those travelling along the Gerik-Jeli highway, not to give food to elephants.
'We worry that this could change their behaviour and diet.
'If the elephants start expecting food from humans, they will linger along the road and their numbers may increase,' he said.
He said this was already evident, as some elephants had started visiting rubbish dumps in search of discarded food.
'They go to waste disposal sites and eat rubbish.
'They even approach houses because they can smell salt, having become accustomed to human food that contains it.
'This is why there have been cases of elephants knocking down houses.
'They are actually following the scent of salt,' he explained.
Yusoff said wild animals required mineral salts, which they usually obtained from salt licks in the forest.
'We have created artificial salt licks in the forest and the wild animals take turns visiting them to get the minerals they need.
'In Perak, we have around 10 locations where we have set up artificial salt licks to help support wildlife,' he added.
Community support
Yusoff said efforts to conserve and protect the country's flora and fauna, especially endangered species, required the cooperation of all citizens, not just NGOs and authorities like Perhilitan.
He highlighted the importance of public vigilance in reporting suspicious activities, including illegal poaching, to enforcement authorities.
'I urge anyone keeping wildlife illegally to come forward and report it.
'Declare the animal so we can issue a licence or if that's not possible, surrender it to us.
'Since February last year, parts of our legislation have been amended and the penalties are now much stricter.
'I'm concerned about the many social media posts of people with monkeys, macaques or protected bird species, which are all fully protected under the law,' he said.