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Azida Shaharuddin
THE Wildlife Department has transferred 98 wild elephants caught in the state to a more suitable location since 1994.
Its director, A. Razak Majid, said based on the department's records, Kota Tinggi, Mersing, Kluang and Segamat are the four districts which have been troubled by wild elephants.
He said the elephants are believed to have fled their sanctuary in the forest reserves of Labis (Bekok), Panti, Endau-Kluang, Endau-Kota Tinggi and the Endau Rompin National Park.
"This was due to human threats to the animals' original habitat, such as when forests were cleared for development," he said.
The department uses the Peninsular Elephant Management Plan which outlines several actions that can be taken against wild elephants that forage among cultivated crops or hurt humans. These are operations to monitor and control, shoot and dispel, or catch and transfer.
"The catch-and-transfer operation, which starts with tracking, costs around RM35,000 to RM40,000 per animal. Since 1994, we have transferred 98 wild elephants, mainly to the Endau-Rompin National Park forest."
Razak said wild elephants encroached on human habitats largely due to the fact that their own habitats were shrinking and they needed roaming space to survive.
"Owing to this, we are likely to continue to face this human-elephant confrontation.
"So our advice to farmers, or anyone else affected, is to build drains or install electrical fences to ward off the animals.
"This has been found to be the most effective method of preventing wild animals from invading human property."
Alternatively, the public can call the department at its offices in Johor Baru (07-2230580), Kluang (07-7723989), Bandar Penawar (07-8221092), Segamat (07-9311214), Mersing (07-7921577) and Muar (07-06-9528736).
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