Jumbo move: Johor Perhilitan personnel will undergo training courses before they are allowed to handle elephants. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
JOHOR BARU: The Johor Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) will install tracking collars on elephants roaming in forested areas in Kluang to have a better understanding of their movements, says Ling Tian Soon.
The state Health and Environment Committee chairman said this is part of the authorities’ efforts to address elephant-human conflicts in the area.
“Elephants are likely roaming outside Kluang’s forests in search of food due to possible disturbances to their habitat.
“We are now making plans to stabilise the forest ecosystem to help all wildlife, including elephants.
“Maybe it is easier for the elephants to find food outside their natural habitat, which is why these creatures visit villages or other areas located near the forest,” he said here yesterday.
The Yong Peng assemblyman said the state government is planning to rehabilitate the forest in Johor to make it easier for the elephants to find food, and one of the measures is to understand their migratory routes around Kluang through tracking collars.
Ling said the government will also set up “food banks” for the elephants, including planting banana trees and napier grass at known feeding spots in the district.
“Once we have installed the tracking collars, we will know their movements.
“For example, in Kota Tinggi, we already know its route, thus allowing us to put up food banks.
“We are in the midst of doing a similar study in Kluang, and once the elephant food bank is set up, hopefully the animals would not wander into human areas,” he said, adding that Perhilitan has identified two elephant groups, which comprise between 15 and 20 elephants, coming from Endau-Rompin National Park and Jemaluang respectively.
Last Saturday, Bernama reported that an elderly woman was believed to have been trampled to death in a rubber smallholding in Felcra Batu 29, Kahang, near Kampung Sri Lukut in Kluang at around 7am.
Kampung Sri Lukut village head Yusuf Ibrahim said the victim, Misirah Saniman, 75, who lived in a house near the rubber smallholding, was believed to have been attacked by a herd of around 10 elephants.
