Wild elephant terrorises Orang Asli family

Relocating: Villagers looking at the bull elephant that was captured by Perhilitan in Kampung Memali, Kedah. It was being prepared for transportation to the Royal Belum forest reserve in Gerik, Perak. — Bernama

GUA MUSANG: A family of seven Orang Asli were in fear of a wild elephant that kept walking around their house in Kampung Aring 5, here.

Fortunately for the family, the animal left without incident an hour after first arriving early yesterday morning. It was seen entering the nearby jungle.

Villager Hussin Selik, 51, said this was the second such incident in two weeks.

The elephant, he said, entered the village at 3am yesterday.

Hussin said he started to worry for his family when the elephant circled his house before leaving.

We heard a loud roar and saw the elephant outside our window but luckily it left, he said.

Hussin said the animal had destroyed 50 banana trees that was planted by his neighbours and him.

Kampung Aring 5 Community Management Council chairman Asrul Hussin, 31, said the wild elephants threat in the village was not new and had occurred several times this year.

He said the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) was aware but had yet to take any action to drive away the elephants.

In Baling, the Kedah Perhilitan yesterday relocated a wild elephant caught in Kampung Memali on Thursday to the Royal Belum Forest Reserve in Gerik, Perak.

Its director Jamalun Nasir Ibrahim said two domesticated elephants named Abot and Rambai were brought in from the National Elephant Conservation Centre to coax the bull elephant into the lorry.

Wildlife rangers caught the 15-year-old elephant weighing two tonnes near the village after receiving numerous complaints about its presence there to forage for food. — Bernama