Malaysia: Living in fear of elephants

New Straits Times 12 May 13;

KUANTAN: Residents in several villages at Sungai Lembing, near here, are living in fear after a herd of elephants were spotted in the area in the past few weeks.

The villagers also claimed that the elephants would enter their smallholdings at night and destroyed oil palm seedlings and other crops.

One of the villagers, Sabri Talib, said he suffered huge losses when the elephants entered his plantation twice and damaged the oil palm seedlings for replanting.

"We are worried about our safety since the elephants were also spotted near the villages and school."

He believed that the animals could have come from the forest near Gunung Tapis which was affected by development projects.

State Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director Khairiah Mohd Shariff said the department had sent five rangers to track down the elephants, which were more active after dark.

"Our investigation shows that there are between four and five elephants in the herd. They have encroached into the smallholdings after their natural habitat was affected by land clearing for plantation projects."

Read more: Living in fear of elephants - General - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/living-in-fear-of-elephants-1.276573#ixzz2T3GF2xKu