THE Terengganu Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) has launched an operation to capture a wild elephant reportedly roaming near a village in Setiu.

Director Loo Kean Seong said the department had recently received a report from Kampung Seri Bayas residents, who claimed that the wild animal had destroyed their crops.

“Previously, we carried out an operation to drive off a herd of three elephants.

“Two of them were safely redirected back into the forest reserve area, but one elephant is believed to have become separated from the others,” he said today.

Meanwhile, Wan Jusih Wan Abdullah, 73, claimed that his 1.8ha oil palm plantation was encroached upon by the wild elephant more than once of the past two weeks.

He said he has tried to prevent the elephant from further destroying his crops, but to no avail.

“The elephant has destroyed more than 8ha of crops. I am worried that if action is not taken soon, we will suffer more losses,” he said, adding that such incidents have been occurring for the past few years. – Bernama, May 7, 2023.