RESIDENTS in Felda Umas in Tawau, Sabah were caught by surprise this week when an unexpected — and rather majestic — visitor wandered into their neighbourhood: an adult pygmy elephant, calmly strolling through the residential area with a vegetable snack perched on its tusk.
The rare and delightful sight was captured in a TikTok video posted by Norizan Omar, which has since gone viral.
The one-minute clip, which has garnered about 2 million views, shows the pint-sized pachyderm peacefully roaming near villagers’ homes, seemingly unbothered by the attention it attracted.
Rather than causing panic or damage, the gentle giant charmed the community with its serene demeanour, casually munching on the vegetable it carried and sticking to the garden paths without stepping on flower beds or damaging the greenery.
Locals can be seen giggling and filming the unusual scene, treating it as a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
Netizens flooded the comments section with amused reactions, joking that the villagers no longer needed to visit zoos or conservation centres.
“That’s so nice. No need to go to the National Elephant Conservation Centre in Kuala Gandah, Pahang. The elephant itself comes here,” said TikTok user @zvl_107.
“Can have an elephant safari in front of the house — no need to buy tickets also,” quipped @lavdyanie.
One commenter, Rohani Abdullah, even praised the animal’s “mindfulness”, noting how it avoided damaging plants by sticking to the path.
However, amid the humour and wonder, some users pointed out the serious issue behind such encounters — the shrinking of wildlife habitats due to ongoing deforestation.
Many believe the endangered and endemic animal may have wandered into the area in search of food or shelter, as natural spaces continue to diminish.
While the incident brought joy to the residents of Felda Umas, it also serves as a gentle reminder of the urgent need for sustainable land management and wildlife conservation.
