KLUANG: Four elephants were found dead in Kampung Sri Timur here, suspected to be the result of villagers taking matters into their own hands after the pachyderms repeatedly damaged their crops.
Paloh assemblyman Lee Ting Han, who was at the site where the animals were found this morning, said it was believed that banned poison was injected into fruits, which were left out for them to eat.
"Samples of the elephants' carcasses were taken for analysis," he said when contacted, adding that the results would be released by the Wildlife and National Parks Department.
"The department will lodge a report to identify the culprits involved," he added.
The four elephants were buried on-site to prevent the remaining herd, which number between 15 and 20, from running amok if they encountered the carcasses.
Lee, who is also state Investment, Trade, Consumer Affairs and Human Resources committee chairman, called the act irresponsible and urged villagers not to take the law into their own hands.
Elephants, listed as endangered in the country, are often found in Kahang here.
Earlier, the "New Straits Times" reported that the Johor Wildlife and National Parks Department received an average of 100 complaints each year from farmers.
Its director, Aminuddin Jamin, said the human-wildlife conflict resulted in the herds of elephants destroying some RM1 million worth of crops.