IPOH: A baby elephant was killed when hit by a sport utility vehicle (SUV) while crossing the road at KM50 of the East-West Highway (JRTB) near Gerik last night.
Gerik District Police Chief Supt Zulkifli Mahmood said the incident, which occurred at about 8.30 pm involved a Nissan X Trail SUV driven by a 35-year-old man, who was travelling from the direction of Pasir Mas, Kelantan, heading towards Gerik.
The pachyderm suddenly appeared, and the SUV driver could not brake on time and hit the elephant, he said in a statement today.
He said a Perodua Axia car, with a 39-year-old man at the wheel trailing behind the Nissan X Trail, failed to brake on time and crashed into the SUV.
The drivers of both vehicles and their passengers only suffered minor injuries, he said, adding that the elephant had been handed over to the Wildlife and National Parks Department for further action.
Meanwhile, Zulkifli advised road users to be more careful of wildlife crossing when driving and passing through the JRTB.
Meanwhile, Perak Wildlife director Yusoff Shariff said the baby elephant was a female and estimated to be seven years old.
“We have taken the elephant to Gerik for burial,“ he said when contacted by Bernama.
A 1-minute 45-second video showing the dead baby elephant lying on the roadside with several damaged vehicles nearby went viral early today.
