KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd has confirmed that a viral video showing two elephants "inspecting" fences along the East Coast Rail Link route was part of a durability test on a proposed wildlife barrier prototype.
MRL, the owner of the ECRL project, said in a statement that the test was conducted on Oct 23 in Temerloh, Pahang, in an area known as an elephant habitat. The test was done in collaboration with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan).
It added that the ECRL alignment passing through the Kemasul Forest Reserve in Temerloh includes agricultural land and areas bordering the forest reserve, a natural habitat for elephant groups.
Consultations with the Perhilitan have also agreed to build an elephant barrier to avoid conflicts.
"MRL and Perhilitan agreed that an elephant barrier should be constructed on both sides of the ECRL track along the Kemasul Forest Reserve to prevent potential human-elephant conflicts, particularly during and after project completion.
"The barrier is also a key safety measure to prevent elephants from straying onto the railway track, which could lead to accidents.
"Perhilitan has recommended that a physical prototype be installed at the actual site to assess its durability and effectiveness before finalising any designs," the statement read.
The statement added that MRL and Perhilitan will conduct a follow-up discussion to review the results and determine the next steps.
Previously, a TikTok video emerged showing elephants appearing to conduct "quality control" on fences associated with the ECRL project.
Uploaded by user @mr_chezz91, the video featured two riders on elephants roaming around a fenced area. One elephant is then seen easily toppling a pillar.
A source close to the project confirmed that the exercise was part of ECRL's wildlife conflict management efforts.
In 2022, an additional agreement was signed between the project's main contractor, China Communications Construction Sdn Bhd, and Perhilitan to implement a Wildlife Management Plan for the ECRL Project, further enhancing conservation and mitigation efforts for wildlife along the 665-kilometre alignment.
"The ECRL project design, aimed at minimising environmental impact on forests, rivers and water sources, includes 41 tunnels, approximately 145 kilometres of elevated tracks, and 28 strategically located wildlife crossings."