LIPIS: The National Elephant Conservation Centre (PKGK) in Kuala Gandah, Lanchang, relocated a bull elephant estimated to be 44 years old which was captured in Kampung Simoi Lama, near here, yesterday.
The pachyderm which inhabits the Ulu Jelai Forest Reserve is believed to be part of a herd which invaded vegetable gardens and threatened the safety of the Orang Asli community in several local settlements before this.
PKGK Kuala Gandah Chief, Che Ku Mohd Zamzuri Chik Wan Ab Rahman said the operation to capture a bull elephant which had a foot circumference of 16.7-inch was carried out by members of PKGK's Elephant Capture Unit (UTG) with the help of staff from the Pahang Wildlife Protection and National Parks Department (Perhilitan.
According to him, the animal weighing about three tons was caught last Tuesday, at about 12.25pm, after complaints were received from residents who claimed that the animal had invaded their vegetable garden area.
He said that the elephant which was separated from its herd was in a healthy condition and had previously roamed the Ulu Jelai Forest Reserve.
"We had to drag the wild elephant some one kilometre to a location where it was boarded to a lorry and traversed eight kilometres through a logging road to reach the exit. The operation started at nine in the morning and was completed some four hours later.
"Two tame elephants Kasturi and Rambai were used to persuade and pull the wild elephant onto the lorry. A total of 26 personnel from PKGK Kuala Gandah and Perhilitan Pahang were involved in the operation," he said, here today.
He added that the male elephant will be released at a location which is far from human settlements and has abundant food sources.
Che Ku Mohd Zamzuri said that the operation to move elephants in Kampung Simoi Lama yesterday was the third such operation carried out by PKGK in Pahang this year, the previous two operations were carried out in Kampung Teruh, Karak.
"The operation to capture and relocate the male elephant in Kampung Simoi Lama was carried out following the attack by the wild animal on the Orang Asli residents at Pos Betau and Pos Senderut which had claimed two lives," he said.
In an incident last month, a male elephant attacked and trampled to death an Orang Asli teenager, Andy Yok Manin, 15 in Kampung Tual B, Pos Senderut.
The herd of elephants is also believed to have attacked and trampled to death an Orang Asli woman in Kampung Simoi Baru, Pos Betau on Dec 7 last year.