Latest news with #AgropolitanGandah
The Star
23-05-2025
- The Star
Perak aims to reduce human-wildlife conflicts
IPOH: Perak looks forward to resolving the increasing number of human-wildlife conflicts in the state with the help of the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan), says Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad. The Mentri Besar said several incidents, particularly those involving elephants crossing the East-West Highway, have been reported, with recent observations suggesting changes in elephant behaviour. 'We have seen elephants crossing, especially in large groups, so something must be prompting this. 'We need to study their behaviour more closely to understand what is going on,' he told reporters after attending the Northern Corridor Economic Region Ramah Mesra event, here yesterday. Saarani said Perhilitan, with its expertise in wildlife management, will take the lead in investigating the cause and proposing appropriate measures. He cited a past incident during the development of the Agropolitan Gandah project, where elephants frequently disturbed newly planted rubber trees. 'Eventually, we allocated a specific area just for the elephants to feed and roam. Once they had that space, they no longer came into conflict with the plantation. 'That experience taught us the importance of understanding and adapting to wildlife behaviour,' he said. Saarani said it is important to investigate whether elephants were crossing the Gerik-Jeli stretch more often after the recent accident involving a baby elephant. 'I want to remind road users, especially in known wildlife corridors, to be extra cautious. These are traditional elephant routes. 'I have tasked state executive councillor Teh Kok Lim to initiate talks with Perhilitan to identify the cause and effective solutions. 'We are looking into the matter, especially now that the elephants are crossing roads in larger groups,' he added. On May 11, a five-year-old elephant was killed after it was struck by a lorry along KM80 of the highway. An adult elephant, believed to be the mother, then attacked the lorry, damaging the front of the vehicle, in its attempt to free the calf pinned by the vehicle. On May 20, a herd of wild elephants damaged a car that had a 39-year-old man inside at KM11 on the same highway. On another matter, Saarani said Perak has secured RM450mil in confirmed foreign investments, following a recent working trip to Europe. He said the delegation visited France, Belgium and Britain, engaging with industry players in construction, chemicals, aquaculture and automotive testing. In France, the team visited Saint-Gobain, which plans to invest an additional RM2mil in its Kanthan plant here, and in Belgium, Lhoist committed RM250mil to expand its quarry operations in Tapah. Three potential investors were also identified for the Lumut Maritime Industrial City (LuMIC), including firms in ship recycling and logistics, expected to visit in June. The state also plans to collaborate on a shrimp farming project using artemia feed, through the Perak State Agriculture Development Corporation. 'In Britain, the team studied the National Automotive Testing Centre in Leicester, with plans to establish a similar research and development driven track in Sungkai,' he added.
Malay Mail
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Perak govt to address rising elephant crossings after fatal highway accident
IPOH, May 22 — Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad today announced that the state government will collaborate with the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) to tackle the increasing number of human-elephant conflicts. Saarani stressed the importance of studying elephant behaviour, particularly as more elephants are being spotted crossing highways. 'We've observed elephants, especially along the East-West Highway, moving in large groups, and something must be triggering this. 'We need to examine their behaviour more closely to understand the reasons behind these movements,' he told reporters after attending the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) 'Majlis Ramah Mesra' at the Meru Casuarina Hotel here. Saarani also highlighted changes in elephant behaviour during the development of the Agropolitan Gandah project, where elephants frequently disturbed newly planted rubber trees. 'After studying their behaviour, we allocated a specific area for the elephants to feed and roam. 'Once they had that space, they no longer encroached on the plantation. That experience underscored the importance of understanding and adapting to wildlife behaviour,' he said. He said Perhilitan would investigate the recent incidents involving elephants and propose suitable measures. Saarani noted it was crucial to determine whether elephants were crossing the Gerik-Jeli stretch more frequently following the recent accident involving a baby elephant or if other factors were contributing to the increased movement. He also advised road users, particularly those travelling along wildlife corridors, to exercise extra caution as these routes are traditional elephant pathways. 'I have tasked state executive councillor Teh Kok Lim with initiating discussions with Perhilitan to identify the causes and effective solutions. 'We are looking into the matter, especially as elephants are now crossing roads in larger groups,' he said. On May 11, a five-year-old male elephant calf was killed after being struck by a poultry lorry at KM 80 of the East-West Highway in Gerik-Jeli during the early hours of the morning. The incident went viral after a witness captured a heart-wrenching moment of the mother elephant desperately trying to push the lorry that had fatally struck her calf, which lay trapped underneath. The mother elephant was later sedated and relocated to the forest. Nine days later, a herd of wild elephants damaged a car at KM11 of the same highway while a 39-year-old man was inside.
The Star
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Perak govt partners with Wildlife Department to address growing human-elephant conflicts
IPOH: The Perak state government will collaborate with the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) to tackle the increasing number of human-elephant conflicts, particularly incidents involving elephants crossing highways, says Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad. The Mentri Besar said recent observations suggest changes in elephant behaviour. 'We have seen elephants crossing, especially the East-West highways, in large groups, and something must be prompting this. 'We need to study their behaviour more closely to understand what's going on,' said the Mentri Besar after attending the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) 'Majlis Ramah Mesra' event at a hotel here on Thursday (May 22). Saarani said Perhilitan would investigate the cause and propose appropriate measures. He cited a past incident during the development of the Agropolitan Gandah project, where elephants frequently disturbed newly planted rubber trees. 'Eventually, we allocated a specific area just for the elephants to feed and roam. Once they had that space, they no longer came into conflict with the plantation. 'That experience taught us the importance of understanding and adapting to wildlife behaviour,' he said. Saarani stated that it was important to investigate whether elephants were crossing the Gerik-Jeli stretch more frequently after the recent accident involving a baby elephant, or if there are other reasons. 'I want to remind road users, especially in known wildlife corridors, to be extra cautious. These are traditional elephant routes. 'I have tasked state executive councillor Teh Kok Lim to initiate talks with Perhilitan to identify the cause and effective solutions. 'We are looking into the matter, especially now that the elephants are crossing roads in larger groups,' he added. On May 11, a five-year-old elephant was killed after it was struck by a lorry along KM80 of the highway. An adult elephant, believed to be the mother, then 'attacked' the lorry, damaging the front of the vehicle, in its attempt to free the calf pinned by the vehicle. On May 20, a herd of wild elephants damaged a car with a 39-year-old man inside at KM11 on the same highway.
