Latest news with #PerakWildlifeandNationalParksDepartment
New Straits Times
19-05-2025
- General
- New Straits Times
NST Leader: Wildlife under siege
HUMANS think the planet was created for us alone. We wilfully forget that it is the home of wildlife, too. How else would you explain the roadkill of an elephant calf along the East-West Highway on May 11? Drivers should know by now that they are passing through a wildlife habitat. It is high time we realised that we are the intruders, not the animals. There are enough warning signs to alert even motorists with minimal concern for the safety of wild animals. Being humane means caring for all creations. Those who gave the go-ahead for the 120km highway, cutting through the Royal Belum State Park and the Temengor Forest Reserve — home to elephants, tigers and tapirs — cannot be excused as being ignorant. Didn't the Public Works Department, as the highway's builders, conduct an environmental assessment prior to construction? Were wildlife crossings not incorporated due to a lack of funds? Since the government managed to raise RM1.6 billion in the 1970s for the highway, it could have found the money to build enough animal crossings. The decline of wildlife will have serious repercussions for the country's ecosystem, and for us as well. The Perak Wildlife and National Parks Department has identified 40 such elephant crossing points. Naturally, in an elephant habitat, they have to hunt for food. Our selfish pursuit of development often overlooks the animals living in our forests. This lack of consideration has only one consequence: the loss of wildlife. The decline of wildlife will have serious repercussions for the country's ecosystem, and for us as well. Given the current rate of animal deaths on our roads, this decline is not a distant possibility. A Bernama report quoted Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad as saying that a total of 2,361 wild animals were killed in collisions with vehicles nationwide between 2020 and May 12 this year. That's a daily loss of one wild animal! Pahang had the highest number of roadkills with 765 animals, followed by Perak (478), Kelantan (224), Terengganu (201), and Negri Sembilan (187). The World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia) is right: without more interventions — both immediate and long-term — roadkills will only get worse. For animals, roads and highways are just another part of the forest habitat. But we understand the danger, so it's our responsibility to take the necessary actions to prevent these needless roadkills. The first is to stop destroying animal habitats. This is crucial because, according to WWF-Malaysia, a 2016 study found that elephant roaming areas had shrunk by 68 per cent due to agriculture, infrastructure and land-use change. The rest comes later. Habitat loss forces animals to cross roads more often, the WWF-Malaysia says. The organisation reminds us of a basic truth: the forest was theirs long before the roads were ours. While we are not against development, it must be sustainable — benefiting not only humans, but animals as well. Unsustainable development is not true progress, it is deforestation. Wild animals need their space, just as much as we do.
New Straits Times
18-05-2025
- General
- New Straits Times
Battling for elephant safety on East-West Highway [WATCH]
KUALA LUMPUR: Change doesn't happen overnight — especially when it comes to protecting elephants in one of Peninsular Malaysia's last great wildernesses. But along the treacherous 120km stretch of the East-West Highway, efforts are being ramped up. Cutting through the heart of the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex — home to elephants, tigers and Malayan tapirs — the highway has become a deadly corridor for wildlife and motorists alike. Perak Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director Yusoff Shariff said they've identified around 40 elephant crossing points along the road, underscoring just how active the area is. "This highway slices right through a critical elephant habitat," he told the New Sunday Times. "And we're seeing crossings very often." To reduce the risk of collisions, 19 warning signs and 17 streetlights have been put up, with more on the way as new hotspots emerge. Plans are also underway to install speed breakers and LED-lit warning signs. "These seem like small steps, but on roads like these, small things save lives," said Yusoff. Yet he warned: "There's no one-size-fits-all solution. Elephant movement is dynamic — it changes with food sources, terrain and habitat pressures." Among the long-term fixes is the construction of wildlife viaducts — but these come with their own set of challenges. "It can take up to two years to build just one crossing. The construction noise itself can drive animals away. Even after completion, we have to "rewild" the site — plant native trees, provide food sources, and set up salt licks — just to coax animals to use it." One success story, he said, is a 200-metre viaduct built in 2015 at a cost of RM26 million. Camera traps have since captured elephants, tapirs and even tigers using it. Beyond the highway, Perhilitan has installed electric fencing in three villages to keep elephants away, besides reducing the likelihood of them wandering onto roads. But the issue goes deeper. "Every development project — plantations, roads or forest clearing — must undergo an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)," Yusoff stressed. "And every EIA must come with proper wildlife mitigation plans. If relocation is needed, it must be done professionally — that's our job." Perhilitan also deploys a dedicated patrol unit along the highway to scare elephants away — but the dark, winding road is long and unpredictable. "Elephants can appear anywhere and it's dangerous work," he admitted. His advice for motorists: Avoid travelling at night. "Stick to driving between 10am and 4pm — that's usually when the elephants are resting." And never feed them. "When people feed elephants, they learn to associate roads with food — and that's when the danger really begins."
New Straits Times
17-05-2025
- General
- New Straits Times
Battling for elephant safety on East-West Highway
Change doesn't happen overnight — especially when it comes to protecting elephants in one of Peninsular Malaysia's last great wildernesses. But along the treacherous 120km stretch of the East-West Highway, efforts are being ramped up. Cutting through the heart of the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex — home to elephants, tigers and Malayan tapirs — the highway has become a deadly corridor for wildlife and motorists alike. Perak Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director Yusoff Shariff said they've identified around 40 elephant crossing points along the road, underscoring just how active the area is. "This highway slices right through a critical elephant habitat," he told the New Sunday Times. "And we're seeing crossings very often." To reduce the risk of collisions, 19 warning signs and 17 streetlights have been put up, with more on the way as new hotspots emerge. Plans are also underway to install speed breakers and LED-lit warning signs. "These seem like small steps, but on roads like these, small things save lives," said Yusoff. Yet he warned: "There's no one-size-fits-all solution. Elephant movement is dynamic — it changes with food sources, terrain and habitat pressures." Among the long-term fixes is the construction of wildlife viaducts — but these come with their own set of challenges. "It can take up to two years to build just one crossing. The construction noise itself can drive animals away. Even after completion, we have to "rewild" the site — plant native trees, provide food sources, and set up salt licks — just to coax animals to use it." One success story, he said, is a 200-metre viaduct built in 2015 at a cost of RM26 million. Camera traps have since captured elephants, tapirs and even tigers using it. Beyond the highway, Perhilitan has installed electric fencing in three villages to keep elephants away, besides reducing the likelihood of them wandering onto roads. But the issue goes deeper. "Every development project — plantations, roads or forest clearing — must undergo an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)," Yusoff stressed. "And every EIA must come with proper wildlife mitigation plans. If relocation is needed, it must be done professionally — that's our job." Perhilitan also deploys a dedicated patrol unit along the highway to scare elephants away — but the dark, winding road is long and unpredictable. "Elephants can appear anywhere and it's dangerous work," he admitted. His advice for motorists: Avoid travelling at night. "Stick to driving between 10am and 4pm — that's usually when the elephants are resting." And never feed them. "When people feed elephants, they learn to associate roads with food — and that's when the danger really begins."
The Star
13-05-2025
- The Star
‘It felt like she was pleading with us'
IPOH: Even for a veteran wildlife officer with almost three decades of experience, the image of a mother elephant standing beside her lifeless calf for nearly five hours was too much to bear. 'It was heartbreaking. It felt like she was pleading with us, begging us to save her baby,' said Perak Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director Yusoff Shariff (pic). His team was at the tragic scene on Sunday morning when a five-year-old elephant calf was struck by a lorry along KM80 of the Gerik-Jeli stretch of the East-West Highway. Gerik police said the accident occurred at about 2.50am when the 28-year-old lorry driver was travelling from Gerik to Jeli. Perak Perhilitan director Yusoff Shariff Videos and photos have gone viral showing an elephant, standing near the lorry as her calf was pinned underneath. At one point, the mother elephant charged at the lorry in what appeared to be a desperate attempt to free her baby. 'The way she tried to rescue her baby, that really affected us deeply,' Yusoff said yesterday. 'We in Perhilitan have a deep understanding of an elephant's instincts. We understand that it's in their nature to protect and grieve this way.' He said the department was informed of the accident at about 3.30am on Sunday and his staff arrived at the site around 4.15am. For nearly five hours, the mother elephant refused to leave her calf's side. 'Initially, Perhilitan officers tried to lead her away, but she wouldn't budge. By 9am, we had no choice but to sedate her for everyone's safety,' he said. The elephant was later guided back into the forest. 'By now, we hope she has reunited with her herd,' he said. The carcass of the elephant calf was buried nearby. Yusoff said the five-year-old elephant weighed around 700kg. 'It was a juvenile. Elephants mature around 14 or 15 years for females, and around 20 to 21 years for males,' he said. Yusoff said that the tragedy, which unfolded on Mothers Day, is one of many sorrowful encounters Perhilitan officers have faced. He referred to a case last year on the same road in which a tiger was found dead with most of its body parts missing. 'All that was left at the scene were the tiger's head and pieces of flesh. We were very saddened. I was heartbroken. During our discussions, all of us expressed our grief,' he added. As for wildlife-related crimes, Yusoff spoke about the silent cruelty of snares laid in the jungle, traps that maim and lead to slow, painful deaths. 'Those are the ones that really crush us. The animal's suffering is drawn out,' he said. Yusoff said he hopes that road users, especially those driving heavy vehicles, will be more careful behind the wheel. Ideally, road users should travel between 10.30am and 3pm when elephant sightings are rare. Elephants, he said, typically appear at the roadside at night, early evening or early morning. 'The department has installed around 17 warning signs alerting drivers to the presence of elephants. 'We have also installed lights at 17 locations in cooperation with the Public Works Department. 'We plan to install more signs, because from our observation, elephants do appear at new spots,' he said. He said the government has built a 200m viaduct in 2015 at a cost of RM26mil near a lookout tower to allow animals to pass underneath. Large digital signboards and outreach programmes for nearby communities, including Orang Asli groups and roadside traders, are also in place to raise awareness. 'There are signs showing that the area is part of the Central Forest Spine. So when we enter these wildlife areas, we should be more alert. Slow down when you see these warning signs,' he said. Yusoff added that their patrol team regularly drives along the stretch to chase off elephants that wander onto the road. 'But we only have one team. During peak travel periods or festive seasons, we add a second,' he said. Perhilitan hopes to expand its patrol force and work with JKR to install more lights and signage. 'But beyond that, I don't see much else that can be done. Ultimately, accidents whether involving animals or humans mostly come down to the driver's attitude. Don't speed and pay attention,' Yusoff said.
New Straits Times
12-05-2025
- General
- New Straits Times
#NSTviral: Lone elephant seen again, believed same mother who lost calf
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.
