GIVE us more mahouts – this is the request of keepers at the Kuala Gandah Elephant Conservation Centre in Pahang to the authorities.

They told The Malaysian Insight that their workload keeps increasing as more jumbos are rescued from the wild.

While they can currently cope with caring for the 33 elephants at the sanctuary, they said it would be good to have more workers.

Senior mahout Saudi Sidik, 59, who has been rescuing and rehabilitating elephants for the last 40 years, said additional keepers will ease their burden.

“Currently, we have 20 mahouts. According to our standard operating procedure, for every elephant, there should be two mahouts.

“This is to ensure the safety of mahouts, as well as to carry out their duty of caring for the elephants.”

Saudi said there is no shortage of applications for mahouts, as many are willing to take up the task.

“We do get a lot of applications, mostly from youth in Pahang and around the country.”

The centre is home to 31 elephants rescued from across the peninsula. The two others were brought in from Myammar and India to help with training wild elephants.

The Wildlife and Natural Parks Department (Perhilitan) established the centre in 1989. It is also the base for the elephant relocation team, which began translocating the animals in 1974.

The team’s role is to locate, subdue and translocate problem elephants from areas encroached on by plantations to other suitable habitats, including Taman Negara.

Over the past 30 years, the team has relocated 900 elephants from the wild.

According to Perhilitan, there are now 2,000 elephants in the peninsula, and 2,500 in Sabah and Sarawak.

There are three elephant sanctuaries under the department. The other two are in Terengganu and Johor.

More rescues

The centre’s assistant director, Isma Hamidah Ismail, said the number of rescued elephants has been increasing, thus the need for more mahouts.

“It’s not that Perhilitan has stopped hiring mahouts. But it would be good if we can get more. Our top management is looking into it.”

The centre is fully funded by the government, but also relies on public aid.

Its annual operational costs are between RM5 million and RM6 million.

“Each rescue operation costs between RM30,000 and RM50,000,” said Isma.

In anticipation of Visit Malaysia 2020, she said, the centre is expecting a 5% increase in local and international visitors.

“Last year, we received 215,742 visitors. We expect more this year, especially on World Elephant Day in July.

“We will work with the Tourism Ministry to promote this place, as all promotions fall under it (the ministry).”

Among the attractions at the centre is rescued female jumbo Eli, which moves around with the help of a prosthetic leg.

She was rescued in 2016 after suffering injuries caused by a wire-snare trap installed by poachers in Jeli, Kelantan. – January 25, 2020.