GUA MUSANG: More than 70 Orang Asli villagers ran helter-skelter when a wild elephant encroached into Kampung Kelaik, Pos Blau, on Thursday (Nov 16).
One of the inhabitants from the Temiar tribe, Uda Busu, 42, said the adult elephant appeared for the first time on Wednesday (Nov 15) and raided some crops.
It reappeared at about 5pm on Thursday, close to a group of playing children.
Uda said frantic residents from all 24 houses in the village fled en masse towards the Gua Musang-Lojing road.
"We abandoned the village as we were worried the elephant could turn on us.
"We waited by the roadside for hours until we were sure the animal had gone back into the forest.
"When we returned to the village at about 3am, leftover food and kitchen utensils from two houses were scattered on the ground, likely from the elephant rampaging through kitchens scavenging for food," said Uda on Sunday (Nov 19).
Pos Blau village head Salleh Angah, 60, said he hoped that the Wildlife Protection and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) would take action.
"We hope Perhilitan will take decisive long-term action because this elephant will likely stray into another village," he said, adding that elephants had been spotted on the road leading to Pos Blau before.
"Hopefully, authorities can drive the mammal deeper into the jungle so it does not encroach into villages again," he said.
Kelantan Perhilitan director Mohamad Hafid Rohani confirmed that he had received a report on the incident. – Bernama
