ECRL to install elephant barriers in Pahang

KUALA LUMPUR: The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) line along the Kemasul Forest Reserve in Temerloh, Pahang, will include elephant barrier fencing on both tracks to prevent human-elephant conflicts in the area.

Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) said discussions with the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) concluded that such fencing is necessary as the route through the forest reserve crosses several agricultural plantations and forest-edge areas that serve as elephant habitats.

“The construction of elephant barrier fencing is a measure to prevent elephants from entering the ECRL railway area, which could lead to accidents,” it said in a statement, Bernama reported.

MRL is the owner of the ECRL project.

Perhilitan had also recommended constructing a mock-up of the fence at the actual location to test its durability and effectiveness before finalising the design, it added.

The test was conducted on Oct 23 and involved two elephants.

A video of the elephants pushing against the fence structure during the durability test recently went viral on social media.

The statement said that ECRL’s main contractor, China Communications Construction (ECRL) Sdn Bhd, had signed a supplementary agreement with the department in 2022 to implement a Wildlife Management Plan to enhance wildlife conservation and mitigation efforts.

The 665km alignment spanning Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan includes 41 tunnels, about 145km of elevated sections and 28 wildlife crossings to mitigate environmental impacts.