Malaysia: LED light thieves to blame for jumbo incursions

Compiled by QISHIN TARIQ, NG SI HOOI and R. ARAVINTHAN The Star 5 Sep 17;

THE woes faced by three Jerantut villages over a rampaging herd of elephants were due to the theft of LED lights designed to keep the jumbos away, Kosmo! reported the Pahang Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) as saying.

State Perhilitan director Ahmad Azhar Mohammad said irresponsible parties had stolen 30 solar-po­wered LED (light-emitting diodes) floodlights from the entry point to the Lepar Forest Reserve.

These lights were part of an un­­con­­ventional new strategy to stop a herd of 30 wandering elephants from encroaching into human settlements at Kampung Pulau Tawar, Kampung Batu Leja and Kampung Bukit Nikmat.

It was previously reported that the hungry elephants ate the villa­ges’ food crops.

Ahmad Azhar said the herd had been led across Sungai Batu back to the forest, but ended up returning to the villages.

He added that attempts to usher the elephants away from the human settlements were also hampered by the people who came to watch the effort.