Perhilitan catches wild elephant in Setiu, relocated to natural habitat

Bernama
June 27, 2021 17:54 MYT

Perhilitan Terengganu director Dr Abdul Malek Mohd Yusof said the elephant, aged to 15 years, was subdued with a tranquiliser shot during the operation conducted by the Terengganu Elephant Capture Unit. - Astro AWANIpic

KUALA TERENGGANU: The Department of Wildlife and National Parks of Peninsular Malaysia (Perhilitan) caught a wild bull elephant in an operation in Kampung Hulu Seladang, Setiu, about 50 kilometres from here, last Thursday.

Perhilitan Terengganu director Dr Abdul Malek Mohd Yusof said the elephant, aged 15 to years, was subdued with a tranquiliser shot during the operation conducted by the Terengganu Elephant Capture Unit.

He said Terengganu Perhilitan had received complaints from residents in the area since May on a herd of elephants which often wandered into their villages and fed on oil palm fronds.

"The elephant is believed to be one of four often found wandering in the area and is believed to have separated from the others.

"Now one of them has been caught in Kampung Hulu Seladang and relocated it to its natural habitat far away from human settlements yesterday evening," he said when contacted by Bernama here, today.

He did not rule out the possibility that the other three elephants still at large would return to the area as there are sources of food available to them.

"We will take further action if there are complaints from the villagers to prevent them from incurring losses due to damage and destruction to their crops by wild elephants," he added.

-- BERNAMA

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