Latest news with #PerakWildlife
The Sun
15-05-2025
- The Sun
Heartwrenching moment desperate mother elephant spends 5 HOURS trying to rescue her dead baby calf trapped under lorry
THIS is the devastating moment a mother elephant spends five hours trying to to rescue her dead baby calf trapped under a van. Grim footage showed the tragic five-year-old male elephant pinned under a 10-tonne lorry while his mother seemingly tried to free him. 3 3 3 The gutwrenching video was recorded at around 2:50am on May 11, on the East-West Highway in the 74,000-acre Belum-Temenggor forest reserve, Malaysia. It showed a large lorry with its front left side smashed up. Debris is scattered across the floor while the stationary vehicle 's lights flash. The mother elephant leans against the left side of the white lorry - while the calf is sadly squashed underneath. A second set of heartbreaking footage shows the mother elephant remaining in the same position hours later, still appearing to mourn the loss of her child. A group of men seemingly attempt to pull the grieving animal away, but fail to make the mother budge following the horrific accident. The road is a known crossing route for elephants, as well as the critically endangered Malayan tiger. Director of the Perak Wildlife Protection and National Parks Department Yusoff Shariff said his team were alerted at about 3.30am. He said: "A male elephant, estimated to be five years old, died after it was believed to have been struck by a truck while trying to cross the road." Wildlife officers later moved the animal's carcass, while the mother elephant was relocated to a safer area. Local police chief Zulkifli Mahmood said preliminary investigations found the driver was not guilty of negligence during the crash. The 28-year-old man reportedly saw a large elephant grazing on the right side of the road moments before the accident. He was transporting poultry at the time. Having believed it was safe to do so, he drove on, avoiding the elephant. But that was when the second animal, the calf, emerged on the left side of the road from the forest. Mahmood said: "The short distance made it impossible for the driver to stop in time, resulting in a fatal collision. "The baby elephant died at the scene," he confirmed. He added that the mother later charged at the lorry following the fatal collision. The driver managed to get away unharmed, he said. Cops confirmed heavy fog and lack of road lighting were contributing factors in the horror smash. Malaysia announced on Monday that it would set up dedicated wildlife crossings into future highway designs following the tragic event.
New Straits Times
14-05-2025
- New Straits Times
Elephant crossing zones identified in several Kelantan districts
KOTA BARU: Several areas in Kelantan have been identified as elephant crossing zones, including main roads and exit routes from the state. State Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director Mohamad Hafidz Rohani said these locations are commonly used by herds of elephants emerging from nearby forests to cross public roads. "Aside from the East-West Highway connecting Jeli and Gerik in Perak, the districts involved include Jeli, Gua Musang, and Kuala Krai. "As part of our safety measures, we have installed warning signboards along these routes to alert the public," he said. He added that the signboards serve as a reminder for motorists to reduce their speed and remain vigilant, especially during dawn and dusk when elephant movement is more frequent. Hafidz said the department would continue to monitor the situation closely and urged drivers to exercise caution to prevent any untoward incidents involving both humans and wildlife. He also advised the public to remain calm and avoid taking matters into their own hands when encountering wild animals, as doing so could pose safety risks. Complaints or sightings can be reported to Perhilitan through its hotline at 1-800-88-5151. On Sunday, a male elephant calf, estimated to be five years old, was killed after being hit by a truck on the Gerik-Jeli stretch of the East-West Highway. Videos and photos of the incident went viral on Mother's Day, showing the mother elephant trying to free her dead calf trapped under the truck, evoking emotional responses from the public. Following the incident, Perak Wildlife personnel had to sedate the mother elephant after she refused to leave her calf for over five hours.
