IPOH: The act of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) placing heaps of fruit along the East-West Highway (JRTB) is drawing elephants to the roadside and increasing the risk of dangerous wildlife encounters for motorists.
Sungai Petani Response Team volunteer, Mohd Amir Faizal, said patrols by his team since May 11 have discovered several piles of fruit left at various locations along the JRTB.
"I was once contacted by a representative of an NGO who asked about placing fruits along the highway. I warned them against it, but judging from the photographic evidence we’ve received, it appears the warning was ignored,” he said.
"Volunteers have observed these fruit piles being placed at night in at least three locations - near Titi Gajah, the JRTB Construction Memorial, and close to the Jeli district in Kelantan,” he told Bernama.
Earlier, Mohd Amir had shared photos on Facebook showing mangoes and bananas placed along the roadside of the JRTB, which is known to be a natural habitat for wildlife such as elephants, bears, Malayan tigers, leopards, and tapirs.
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The 123km highway, which links Gerik in Perak to Jeli in Kelantan, was built in 1970 and opened to traffic on July 1, 1982.
Mohd Amir warned that if this practice is not stopped, more people may follow suit, mistakenly believing it benefits wildlife.
"Wild animals are meant to forage on their own. Leaving food by the roadside is not only misguided, it’s irresponsible and poses a serious danger to road users who rely on the JRTB for their daily commute,” he said.
Meanwhile, Perak Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director Yusoff Shariff said there are currently no specific laws that allow for enforcement action against those who leave food for wildlife in such areas.
"To curb this behaviour, we will install more warning signs along the highway to remind the public not to feed wild animals.
"There is no legal provision, including under Perhilitan, that permits enforcement against this act. For now, our approach will be to raise public awareness through education and signage,” he said. - Bernama
