LIPIS: Orang Asli padi planters at Simpang Gening and Kampung Nangka Belantara near Pos Lenjang are facing distress as wild elephants have caused extensive damage to their crops.
Over the past three days, the elephants have ravaged four hectares of hill padi (padi huma), resulting in significant losses for nearly 10 Orang Asli farmers from the Semai tribe.
Simpang Gening padi farmer, Daruddin Rahim, said that two elephants were seen entering his 0.8-hectare plantation at night.
"The elephants entered the farms and trampled on the young padi, which we planted less than two months ago. We are expecting to harvest in the next three months. Besides the padi, the elephants also came into the village to eat tapioca and bananas planted near the padi fields. In the past, some farmers stayed up at night to chase away the elephants," he said, adding that the paddy is grown for their own consumption.
Another farmer, Jamil Bongsu, expressed concern over the ongoing incidents of elephants encroaching into human settlements in search of food, causing further losses for the farmers.
"The elephants destroy our banana, tapioca, and oil palm crops, which we sell to support our families. There's not much we can do to prevent the elephants from entering the farms. We usually try to chase them away or burn firewood to scare them off. We must also consider our safety, as the animals can retaliate," Jamil said.
The farmers' distress highlights the challenges faced by the Orang Asli community in protecting their livelihoods from wildlife intrusions.