12-05-2025
Heartbreaking moment mother elephant tries to move truck that killed her calf as the infant lies dead under its wheels in Malaysia
This is the heartbreaking moment a grief-stricken mother elephant desperately tried to move the truck that killed her calf out of the way.
The heavy vehicle collided with the young elephant in Perak, northern Malaysia in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The baby elephant is said to have died trapped under the front end of the lorry.
Heart-wrenching footage of the elephant mother trying to push the truck after the incident was one of the most-viewed items on newspaper websites - and tugged on the heartstrings of many Malaysians.
The adult animal was later sedated and moved to rejoin its herd while authorities removed the calf's carcass, news reports said.
Wildlife activists called on the government to step up efforts to provide wildlife crossings on the highway, which already has signs warning motorists of the potential dangers.
'Every year we witness tragic incidents where animals like tapirs are struck by vehicles while crossing roads in search of food,' said Lee Lam Thye, a prominent former politician and wildlife activist.
'These collisions not only result in the loss of precious wildlife, but also pose a significant risk to drivers,' he said in a statement to The Star daily paper.
The head of the University of Putra Malaysia's Road Safety Research Centre said motion sensors, rumble strips and elevated crossings could help.
'These steps can considerably lower crash hazards when combined with improved signage and public awareness efforts,' Teik Hua Law told the New Straits Times.
A total of 2,361 wild animals were reported to have been killed by vehicles since 2020, Malaysia's natural resources and environmental sustainability minister said on Monday.
This included eight elephants.
Malaysia is one of the world's most biodiverse and animal-rich countries, with more than 360 species of mammals including elephants and tapirs living in its tropical forests.
Researchers have established that elephants' emotional characteristics are similar to those of humans.
Earlier this year, scientists in India revealed that elephants perform funeral-like practices similar to humans.
Researchers in the country's Bengal region discovered five calf burials in 2022 and 2023.
In each case, the herd had carried the deceased calf by its trunk and legs, before burying it in the earth with its legs facing upwards.
The calves were buried in irrigation canals on tea estates, hundreds of metres away from the nearest human settlements.
