KLUANG: Four elephants have been allegedly being poisoned in Kampung Sri Timur, Kahang, here.
“The four elephants are believed to have died from poisoning either last night or this morning.
“If any villagers are having issues with elephants, they should report it to the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan), their village chief, or the police,” said Paloh assemblyman Lee Ting Han when contacted here Saturday (June 1).
Lee, also the chairman of the Johor investment, trade, consumer affairs, and human resource committee, said a veterinary team from Perhilitan would conduct a post-mortem examination on the elephants to discover the cause of death.
“We expect the post-mortem to be completed by tomorrow (Sunday), but the chemical report will take two to three weeks.
“If the elephants were poisoned, the police would get involved,” he said, adding that there have been recent reports of a herd of elephants in the area.
When asked if the land belonged to any villagers, Lee said the elephants' carcasses were found on untitled land.
“There are some crops grown by villagers, but this does not justify such a cruel action. It is very sad,” he added.
Meanwhile, Johor Perhilitan director Aminuddin Jamin said they are monitoring the area around the village’s plantation to ensure the elephant carcasses are not disturbed.
“Johor Perhilitan is still investigating. At this point, we cannot confirm that the elephants died from poisoning,” he said, urging the public not to take matters into their own hands.
He added that elephants can become aggressive and dangerous if they consume something harmful, posing a serious risk to nearby residents.
A one-minute and thirty-second video of the dead elephants had been circulating on WhatsApp.
