CHUKAI: The Terengganu Wildlife and National Parks Department captured a wild elephant at Ladang Rakyat Bukit Bandi Cerul near here on Thursday (Dec 18).
Its director, Loo Kean Seong, said the mammal was captured at 2pm after being tranquillised at the oil palm plantation, where it was found at about 12.30 pm.
He said the bull elephant, estimated to be seven years old and weighing 2.5 tonnes, was in good health when captured about two kilometres from the location where it was darted.
"A group of personnel from the department rushed to the location after detecting a viral video lasting more than three minutes showing a wild elephant roaming along Jalan Cerul-Bukit Sagu, which was uploaded on Facebook at 10 am today," he said when contacted by Bernama on Thursday.
He added that the elephant would be relocated to its natural habitat soon to ensure its survival.
Loo said that, based on resident reports, the wild elephant had been detected roaming the Cerul area for several years but had not disturbed the public, including road users.
Meanwhile, Kemaman district police chief Supt Mohd Razi Rosli said the elephant was believed to have wandered onto the road after several areas of the oil palm plantation were inundated by floods since Wednesday (Dec 17).
"Road users need not worry about using the route as the wild elephant has been captured," he said. – Bernama
