BY MANJIT KAUR
IPOH: Even for a veteran wildlife officer with almost three decades of experience, the image of a mother elephant standing beside her lifeless calf for nearly five hours was too much to bear.
“It was heartbreaking. It felt like she was pleading with us, begging us to save her baby,” said Perak Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director Yusoff Shariff (pic).
His team was at the tragic scene on Sunday morning when a five-year-old elephant calf was struck by a lorry along KM80 of the Gerik-Jeli stretch of the East-West Highway.
Gerik police said the accident occurred at about 2.50am when the 28-year-old lorry driver was travelling from Gerik to Jeli.
Videos and photos have gone viral showing an elephant, standing near the lorry as her calf was pinned underneath.
At one point, the mother elephant charged at the lorry in what appeared to be a desperate attempt to free her baby.
“The way she tried to rescue her baby, that really affected us deeply,” Yusoff said yesterday.
“We in Perhilitan have a deep understanding of an elephant’s instincts. We understand that it’s in their nature to protect and grieve this way.”
He said the department was informed of the accident at about 3.30am on Sunday and his staff arrived at the site around 4.15am.
For nearly five hours, the mother elephant refused to leave her calf’s side.
“Initially, Perhilitan officers tried to lead her away, but she wouldn’t budge. By 9am, we had no choice but to sedate her for everyone’s safety,” he said.
The elephant was later guided back into the forest.
“By now, we hope she has reunited with her herd,” he said.
The carcass of the elephant calf was buried nearby.
Yusoff said the five-year-old elephant weighed around 700kg.
“It was a juvenile. Elephants mature around 14 or 15 years for females, and around 20 to 21 years for males,” he said.
Yusoff said that the tragedy, which unfolded on Mothers Day, is one of many sorrowful encounters Perhilitan officers have faced.
He referred to a case last year on the same road in which a tiger was found dead with most of its body parts missing.
“All that was left at the scene were the tiger’s head and pieces of flesh. We were very saddened. I was heartbroken. During our discussions, all of us expressed our grief,” he added.
As for wildlife-related crimes, Yusoff spoke about the silent cruelty of snares laid in the jungle, traps that maim and lead to slow, painful deaths.
“Those are the ones that really crush us. The animal’s suffering is drawn out,” he said.
Yusoff said he hopes that road users, especially those driving heavy vehicles, will be more careful behind the wheel.
Ideally, road users should travel between 10.30am and 3pm when elephant sightings are rare.
Elephants, he said, typically appear at the roadside at night, early evening or early morning.
“The department has installed around 17 warning signs alerting drivers to the presence of elephants.
“We have also installed lights at 17 locations in cooperation with the Public Works Department.
“We plan to install more signs, because from our observation, elephants do appear at new spots,” he said.
He said the government has built a 200m viaduct in 2015 at a cost of RM26mil near a lookout tower to allow animals to pass underneath.
Large digital signboards and outreach programmes for nearby communities, including Orang Asli groups and roadside traders, are also in place to raise awareness.
“There are signs showing that the area is part of the Central Forest Spine. So when we enter these wildlife areas, we should be more alert. Slow down when you see these warning signs,” he said.
Yusoff added that their patrol team regularly drives along the stretch to chase off elephants that wander onto the road.
“But we only have one team. During peak travel periods or festive seasons, we add a second,” he said.
Perhilitan hopes to expand its patrol force and work with JKR to install more lights and signage.
“But beyond that, I don’t see much else that can be done. Ultimately, accidents whether involving animals or humans mostly come down to the driver’s attitude. Don’t speed and pay attention,” Yusoff said.