KUALA LUMPUR: The Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry and the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) are conducting further investigation into the death of four elephants in Kluang, Johor.
The investigation includes an inspection of the surrounding area.
Its minister, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, said initial reports had identified the female elephant and the three male elephants were from the Bandar Tenggara group in the Lenggor Forest Reserve, Kluang and Kluang Tambahan Forest Reserves, Labir Forest Reserve, Sembrong Forest Reserve and the Endau Rompin National Park.
"These primary habitats are surrounded by agricultural, plantation and residential areas," he said in a statement today.
He added that the elephants were one of the country's iconic wildlife species and fully protected under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.
Based on current data, he said, the estimated number of elephants in Johor was between 120 to 160. Perhilitan had recorded a total of 646 human-elephant conflict reports in Johor between 2020 and May 2024.
Around 45 per cent or 292 of the reports involved the Kluang district.
"I would like to emphasise that elephant habitats and roaming areas are crucial to support the elephant population.
"Habitat loss due to land use changes for agricultural activities, plantations, settlements, urbanisation and infrastructure development leads to human-elephant conflicts."
The ministry, he said, was always proactive in preserving and conserving wildlife habitats, including those of elephants through several initiatives.
He said these included developing the National Elephant Conservation Action Plan 2023-2030 (Necap 2.0).
Nik Nazmi said other efforts included establishing the National Elephant Conservation Centre in Lanchang, Pahang; providing a Wildlife Rescue Plan and providing financial incentives for biodiversity and forest conservation to state governments.
The ministry was also intensifying efforts to gazette forested areas as permanent forest reserves, water catchment forests, and fully protected areas, particularly those within the central forest spine and environmentally sensitive areas.
To alleviate the burden on villagers and local communities who suffer losses or property damage due to human-wildlife conflicts, Nik Nazmi said the ministry had allocated a one-off provision of RM10 million under the Property and Crop Damage Assistance due to Wildlife Attacks in 2024.
Additionally, the ministry would also strengthen patrols and enforcement to combat encroachment, illegal logging and wildlife poaching, as well as enhance wildlife habitat management through accreditation schemes such as the Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CATS) programme.
"The ministry, through Perhilitan, will continue its efforts to address human-wildlife conflict issues. However, these efforts require the cooperation and involvement of state governments and plantation owners.
"In this regard, I urge plantation operators to be more mindful of the ecosystems surrounding their plantations and to implement good agricultural practices.
"I also call on everyone to provide information to Perhilitan if they have any details regarding the deaths of the four elephants by contacting the Perhilitan Hotline at 1-800-88-5151."
On June 1, 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.