LAHAD DATU: A herd of 40 elephants stormed into an oil palm plantation at Ulu Segamat here, with one of them injured believed to be due to a snare trap.
Sabah wildlife director Augustine Tuuga said the department was alerted of the presence of the elephants and one of them was believed injured based on the rope trap that was seen on its front leg.
“A veterinary team has been deployed to the location to capture the elephant so that treatment can be administered. However, we have yet to ascertain the actual location where the elephant was hit by the snare trap,” he said when contacted, today.
He said the wildlife personnel were carrying out monitoring with the help of plantation workers, adding the group was monitoring the movement of the 40 elephants.
According to Tuuga, the elephants entered the plantation during the day but exited to the neighbouring Mesuli forest reserve during the night.
“So far some crops have been damaged and our personnel will will try to prevent more damage (of crops),” he said.
Tuuga also noted in order to avoid human-elephant conflict in the plantation area, the elephants needed to cross Sungai Segama to return to Ulu Segama forest reserve.