KUALA BERANG: An elderly man found dead with bruises and an injured nose in Kampung Basung this morning is believed to have been trampled by a wild elephant.
District police chief, Deputy Superintendent Zainul Mujahidin Mat Yudin said this conclusion was based on a post-mortem conducted on the victim, Musa Ahmad, 65, by the Forensic Unit at Hulu Terengganu Hospital.
He said police received a report at 9.32pm last night regarding the victim's disappearance after he left home in the morning to visit his orchard.
"Yesterday, the victim's family and villagers searched for him at the orchard, but were unable to find him.
"Search and rescue efforts resumed about 7am this morning, involving various agencies and residents.
"At 7.15am, the victim was found dead near a slope beneath Tenaga Nasional Bhd power lines about 100 metres from his orchard," he said.
He said the case has been classified as sudden death and advised the public to immediately inform the Wildlife and National Parks Department or the police if they encounter wild animals in residential or orchard areas.
Last week, it was reported that Musa had expressed concern about wild elephants damaging crops near his home.