ANXIETY has befallen the Orang Asli community in Pos Brooke, Gua Musang, as wild elephants roaming near the settlement are becoming more brazen and starting to approach residents’ homes.

A resident, Reingil Rajis Angah, 48, said a tusker entered the village last week and damaged the wall of a house in Kampung Liak.

“The incident occurred around 3am. The elephant smashed the house wall, stole a mattress, and ate it. At the time of the incident, the homeowner’s son was sleeping on the mattress. He was able to escape.

“The elephants destroyed our crops and got too close to our houses, so we are worried about our safety,” he said when met at Kampung Brooke Lama.

Village head Rian Bujang said a wild elephant that has been roaming the area for three months is worrying the over 500 Orang Asli residents in three villages in Pos Brooke.

According to him, the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) came to monitor the situation, but the threat from the mammals is still present.

Rian said one of the four elephants in the area not only roams freely in Kampung Kuala Rengil, Kampung Brooke Lama and Kampung Liak, but also destroys vegetables, tubers and corn crops grown by Orang Asli in the area.

“We hope Perhilitan can work on ways to move the wild elephants to other areas to avoid constant threats, including to the lives of local residents.

“More and more of our crops are being destroyed. The elephant has become bolder and enters the village,” he said.

Galas assemblyman Mohd Syahbuddin Hasim said he hopes more than 30 villagers whose crops were damaged by the elephants can be compensated.

“This is a source of livelihood for the villagers, and when these crops are damaged, their income is affected. This has made life more difficult for the villagers,” he said. – Bernama, February 1, 2023.