KUALA TERENGGANU: The Department of Wildlife Protection and National Parks (Perhilitan) is considering the relocation of wild elephants roaming around Kampung Basung, near here, if efforts to drive them away are unsuccessful.
Its director, Loo Kean Seong, stated that they are currently conducting operations to herd the elephants to other areas, especially following the incident in which a farmer was killed in an elephant attack this morning.
Since last week, he said Perhilitan has been monitoring and controlling the elephant herd using shooting methods to drive the mammals back into the forest.
However, he noted that the area is large and elephants driven into the forest tend to return to the farms and settlements of residents in search of food.
"It is not suitable to capture them, especially given the proximity of the farms to the forest... Perhilitan has previously captured several wild elephants in areas near that village.
"We (Perhilitan) are very saddened by this incident, and monitoring is continuously conducted alongside ongoing operations to drive the elephants away," he said.
Regarding the relocation of wild elephants, Kean Seong mentioned that as of September this year, five elephant relocation operations have been carried out in the state, involving animals that have encroached on settlements and disturbed villagers.
"We advise residents affected by disturbances from wild animals, particularly elephants, to promptly report to Perhilitan.
"This will facilitate our immediate action as the animals move from one place to another.
"We also advise farmers not to go to the fields alone, as this is not just an issue with elephants but also with tigers. If possible, go in groups of two or three, as the area is exposed to wildlife," he said.
In the meantime, he said that the relatives of the victim of the elephant attack can contact Perhilitan Hulu Terengganu if they wish to obtain information regarding the assistance fund for victims of wild animal attacks.