Perhilitan expects elephant sanctuary in Gerik to be operational by 2030
IPOH, May 22 — The Perak Elephant Sanctuary at Jalan Raya Timur-Barat (JRTB) is expected to be completed by 2030, said Perak Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) director Yusoff Shariff.
He said the RM40 million project had been submitted to the Economy Ministry on May 6 and the decision on its construction falls entirely under the jurisdiction of the Federal government.
'If everything goes smoothly, I think this sanctuary can operate as early as in 2028, but for (the infrastructure facility) to be fully completed, perhaps 2030 is a more realistic target.
'With the availability of such a facility, it will reduce human-elephant conflicts at JRTB by about 50 to 50 per cent,' he said when contacted by Bernama.
Bernama reported on July 18, 2020, that the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources announced the development of the Perak Elephant Sanctuary (PES) at Batu 11, JRTB in Gerik.
Based on Perhilitan's records, 4,919 complaints of human-elephant conflicts were reported between 2020 and 2024, with property loss estimated at RM39.4 million.
On the effectiveness of a wildlife crossing at the JRTB, Yusoff said the 200-metre crossing, also known as a viaduct that was built for RM26 million in 2015, proved helpful but does not guarantee the safety of elephants that inhabited the area along the route.
He added that this was because the crossing was built at Kilometre 157 of the JRTB and only used by the elephants that inhabit that specific area.
'The viaduct only helps on a small scale and is only used by animals inhabiting that area. So, we feel that the setting up of a sanctuary will provide greater safety assurance for both road users and elephants at the JRTB,' he said.
He also did not rule out the possibility of building more wildlife crossings along the JRTB if there is a specific allocation for it. — Bernama
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