KINABATANGAN: Residents of three villages in Mukim Batu Puteh are urgently calling on authorities to intervene as wild elephants continue to ravage their settlements—a crisis that has been spiralling since July 25.
The affected communities—Kampung Perpaduan Datuk Mohd Ugi, Kampung Batu Puteh, and Kampung Manggaris—report that the elephants frequently enter their villages, particularly at night, sparking acute anxiety over personal safety, widespread crop destruction, and damage to property.
Azman Amirbek, Chairman of the Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) for Kampung Perpaduan Datuk Mohd Ugi, said the pachyderms pose a dual threat: endangering lives while crippling the agricultural livelihoods that most families depend on.
“Our families live in constant fear as the herd returns repeatedly. The devastation to our crops deals a heavy blow to our daily income,” he lamented.
He urgently appealed for the rehabilitation of a dilapidated and non-functional control panel, alongside an upgrade to the electrical circuit system of the TRC Fence—particularly at the main junction leading into the villages, a known hotspot frequently used by the elephants as a corridor.
The fence was originally built with funding from a non-governmental organisation and community labour, but it has since fallen into disrepair and is now inactive.
Meanwhile, the Kinabatangan District Wildlife Department (JHL) has been conducting regular operations to drive the elephants away, with assistance from locals. However, the animals remain at large in the area, and efforts to steer them safely back to their natural habitat are ongoing.
Azman expressed gratitude to JHL for its persistence but stressed that tackling the crisis requires a united front—including NGOs, private companies, community leaders, and all relevant government agencies—to ease the burden on affected families.
“Public safety, asset protection, and wildlife conservation must go hand in hand. Swift action today is the only way to prevent a more dire situation tomorrow,” he asserted. – James Leong
Azman shows the trail of destruction left behind by the wild elephants.
