Wildlife authorities urge caution after driving a herd of elephants, including calves, back into the forest near Gerik to prevent road incidents
IPOH: The Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) has tracked a herd of wild elephants near the East-West Highway (JRTB) close to Gerik. Monitoring and patrols were conducted by personnel around 1 am yesterday after a video of the animals went viral on social media.
The 48-second clip showed road users stopping their vehicles as the elephants stood by the roadside. Perak Perhilitan director Mohd Taufik Abdul Rahman confirmed the herd, which included calves, was driven back into the forest to prevent any untoward incidents.
He advised all road users travelling along the route to exercise extreme caution. “When encountering a herd of elephants, there are several things to keep in mind,” he said.
“Do not honk or use high beams, as this may provoke them.” He added that the public should not exit their vehicles and must give way, waiting for the elephants to cross before proceeding.
However, Mohd Taufik outlined a specific safety protocol if the animals become agitated. Road users should slowly reverse their vehicles if the elephants display aggressive behaviour like flaring their ears or repeatedly raising and lowering their trunks.
The director’s warning comes as many people are expected to use the highway to travel to their hometowns.
