Sharifah Mahsinah Abdullah New Straits Times 24 Oct 11;
KOTA BARU: Rangers from the state wildlife department have captured a female elephant believed to be from the herd of six that killed a rubber tapper in Kampung Serian, Batu 11, Gua Musang, in March.
Weighing about three tonnes and about 35 years old, the elephant was caught by rangers, led by Ismail Awang, at a rubber estate in Kampung Limau Kasturi yesterday.
Department director Rahmat Topani said the rangers had named the elephant "Mek Kasturi", after it was captured while roaming in the village.
"Apart from our suspicion that it caused the death of the rubber tapper, the elephant is also believed to be part of the herd that has rampaged and destroyed many smallholdings in Kampung Serian and Kampung Limau Kasturi over the last two months."
Rahmat said the elephant, the fifth to be captured by the department this year, would be sent to the National Park this weekend.
Rahmat believed five more elephants , including a female from the same herd, were still roaming the area.
On March 5, rubber tapper Lee Che Hassan, 46, set off firecrackers to scare a herd of wild elephants and was killed when one of the elephants attacked him.
He died after the female elephant wrapped its trunk around him and smashed him against a tree.
Lee's case is the third elephant attack in Gua Musang since last year.
On Jan 23, farm worker Bernardus Ngongo Naru, 24, fractured his ribs after an elephant trampled on him.
On Dec 6 of last year, Muhamad Adnan Iberahim, 26, was killed when he was trampled by a herd of wild elephants near Pos Pasik.
