#NSTviral: Lone elephant seen again, believed same mother who lost calf

New Straits Times

12-05-2025

KUALA LUMPUR: A video of a lone elephant wandering along the Gerik-Jeli Highway has tugged at the hearts of Malaysians, who believe she is the same grieving elephant that lost her calf, killed in a road accident just a day earlier.
In a TikTok clip posted by user @WafiyZulkhairi, he claimed the elephant was the same one whose calf died after being struck by a lorry yesterday morning.
"Saw a mother elephant while passing through Gerik-Jeli earlier today. She is still searching for her baby who died yesterday morning.
"It is heartbreaking. A mother's instinct never fades. She is still waiting, even though her baby won't return." he wrote.
The video touched the hearts of social media users, with many still saddened by the five-year-old calf's death.
@Mohdzulkilfi said: "The mother elephant is wandering looking for her baby. I am sad. I can't bear to watch."
@dilarofaee, said: "She probably thinks her baby is still alive because she never got to see it one last time. This is so sad."
Perak Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director Yusoff Shariff, when contacted, said he could not confirm whether the elephant seen in the video is indeed the same grieving mother.
"We cannot tell if it is the same elephant. However, female elephants rarely move alone, they are usually with a herd.
"Those seen alone are often males. In this case, we believe the grieving mother had returned to the forest and rejoined the herd in search of food," he said.
Yusoff did not rule out the possibility that the grieving mother may return to the accident site in a month or two.