Wild elephant disrupts campsite in Pos Gob, raises human-wildlife conflict concerns

GUA MUSANG experienced a startling encounter at 4am on August 24 when a male elephant approached their campsite during the Kembara Rakyat Nenggiri program. About 150 people were startled by the fully grown elephant, raising concerns about human-elephant conflict in the remote Orang Asli settlement nestled within the Balah Permanent Forest Reserve.

The elephant is believed to be from the ID Nenggiri herd, consisting of around 40 elephants that call the surrounding forest their home and migration route. Perhilitan director Wan Mohd Adib Wan Yusoh stated that elephants may appear at any time as they search for food in the forest. As the settlement is close to the elephants' natural paths, encounters with humans remain a risk, especially if the animals are approached or provoked.

Perhilitan plans to monitor the area and determine necessary measures, while the public is advised to keep a safe distance from wild elephants, not chase them, nor sound vehicle horns or shine lights at them. Experts warn that land clearing, plantations, and the Nenggiri dam project could further disrupt elephant habitats, driving them closer to human settlements.

Solutions proposed include establishing food banks inside the forest and implementing electric fencing or sandbag barriers to minimize encounters between elephants and locals. Nenggiri assemblyman Mohd Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani called for a comprehensive solution to protect residents, noting that wildlife conflicts in Pos Gob have persisted for two years.