IPOH: The Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) has detected a herd of wild elephants roaming in the vicinity of the East-West Highway near Gerik.
Perak Perhilitan director Mohd Taufik Abdul Rahman said following this, monitoring and patrols were carried out by its personnel yesterday.
“The herd of elephants, including calves, was driven back into the forest to prevent any untoward incident,” he said when contacted by Bernama.
Mohd Taufik was asked to comment on a 48-second video that went viral on social media, showing road users stopping their vehicles as a herd of elephants stood by the roadside along the highway.
He urged motorists using the route to exercise caution and take the necessary precautions when encountering wild animals.
“When encountering a herd of elephants, there are several things to keep in mind. Do not honk or use high beams as this may provoke them. The public should not exit their vehicles, but give way and wait for the elephants to cross before proceeding,” he said.
“If the elephants display aggressive behaviour such as flaring their ears or repeatedly raising and lowering their trunks, road users should slowly reverse their vehicles.”
