KLUANG: Three wild elephants have been captured by the Johor Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) following public sightings here.
Johor health and environment committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said the animals were captured separately after the department received reports from local residents and farmers earlier this month.
“After scouting the area, the team captured an adult female elephant in the Jalan Mersing-Kluang area, with a fore footprint measuring 39.37cm, last Tuesday morning (Oct 14).
“Two more wild elephants - a female and a male - were captured two days later (Oct 16) near a palm oil plantation close to Taman Wawasan Kahang.
“The adult female has a fore footprint measuring 35.56cm and an adult male with a 27.94cm footprint,” he said in a statement on Monday (Oct 20).
Ling said the Johor Elephant Capture Unit conducted the operations in collaboration with the National Elephant Conservation Centre’s team.
He said the coordinated operation, which began on Oct 8, was aimed at ensuring the safety of residents and protecting the animals’ welfare.
“Arrangements are being made to relocate the elephants to their natural habitat,” he said, adding that the state government and Perhilitan would continue addressing human-wildlife conflicts in a responsible and science-based manner.
