KINABATANGAN: Residents of Mukim Batu Puteh, here, are once again facing the return of wild elephants believed to have entered residential areas, farms and community activity zones. The development has caused particular concern among those living near elephant movement routes and among community volunteer teams carrying out controlled deterrence efforts.
The community is respectfully urging the District Wildlife Department to return to the field to monitor and assess the current situation and the locations where the elephants are moving.
They are also seeking clear safety briefings and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for residents and community volunteers, especially on what to do in the event of an encounter with wild elephants near settlements.
Such guidance is essential because the volunteers are not enforcement officers or professional wildlife personnel. Their safety must therefore be prioritised so that any field action is carried out in an orderly and safe manner.
The community stresses that it has no intention of taking matters into its own hands or endangering the elephants. Instead, it seeks guidance and coordination from those with expertise in wildlife management.
It hopes cooperation between the District Wildlife Department, the Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK), village heads, community teams, industry players and local residents can be strengthened to handle incidents more effectively.
The main requests are for the department to conduct field assessments; provide safety briefings and SOPs; help coordinate safe and appropriate deterrence methods; provide reporting and emergency response guidelines; consider regular monitoring of known elephant routes and resting areas; and strengthen government-community cooperation in managing human-elephant conflict.
Azman Amirbek, Kampung Perpaduan Datuk Mohd Ugi JKKK chairman, said the community respects the Wildlife Department’s role and hopes residents’ safety can be safeguarded without compromising the protection of wild elephants. – James Leong
A wild elephant is spotted again in Mukim Batu Puteh in Kinabatangan.
