Wild jumbo placed in forest reserve

Easy does it: Awang (left) being coaxed by Kala and Rambai in Kampung Perah near Gerik. — Bernama

GERIK: A wild male elephant, aged more than 30 years, was relocated to the Royal Belum Forest Reserve after it was captured by the Perak Wildlife Protection and National Parks Department.

The elephant named Awang Perah was relocated last Wednesday after it was sedated and brought out of Kampung Perah here with the help of two female decoy elephants from the Kuala Gandah National Elephant Conservation Centre in Temerloh.

Under the guidance of decoy elephants Kala and Rambai, the wild elephant was taken out of the village area on a special lorry yesterday.

The operation led by the centre’s Elephant Unit chief Nasharuddin Othman involved 25 personnel from the Perak Wildlife Protection and National Parks Department and the centre.

Nasharuddin said villagers reported seeing the wild elephant near the Perah highway stopover area.

“The elephant was responsible for destroying crops such as banana trees in Kampung Perah for several months,” he said. — Bernama