KUALA LUMPUR: A TOTAL of 80,375 human-wildlife conflict incidents were reported nationwide from 2018 to this year, says Natural Resources and Environment Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
He said 7,925 cases were recorded in 2018 and the number gradually increased through the years to 13,670 last year and 11,341 so far this year.
“We know this is a serious issue. This requires a comprehensive approach to ensure that human-wildlife conflict can be addressed and that the wealth of our biodiversity can be preserved,” he said during Minister’s Question Time at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
Nik Nazmi also said an estimated RM62.5mil worth of losses was incurred from human-wildlife conflicts from 2018 to 2024.
“In 2018, it was about RM3.8mil and so far this year, losses are at RM7.35mil. Last year, it was more than RM11mil,” he added.
He said the first phase of the ECRL between Kota Baru and Gombak cuts through several forest reserves that are wildlife habitats.
“Wildlife management plan is one of the aspects that we paid attention to and it is also one of the main pre-conditions of the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) in the environment impact assessment report approval,” he said.
Perhilitan and ECRL have inked an agreement to address human-wildlife conflict, he added. “This agreement is valid until 2027 to ensure wildlife sustainability.”
Earlier this month, Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) said the ECRL line along the Kemasul Forest Reserve in Temerloh, Pahang, will include elephant barrier fencing on both tracks to prevent human-elephant conflicts.
The barrier fencing, said MRL, was to prevent elephants from entering the ECRL railway area, which could lead to accidents.
A test on the fence was conducted on Oct 23, involving two elephants. Subsequently, a video of the elephants pushing against the fence structure went viral.
The 665km alignment spanning Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu has 41 tunnels, with about 145 elevated sections and 28 wildlife crossings to mitigate environmental impact.
