KALABAKAN: More than 200 residents in Kampung Jagung, Merotai, have called on the Wildlife Department (JHL) to take immediate action to resolve the issue of wild elephants encroaching their village and oil palm plantations.
Most of the villagers expressed concern over any untoward incident if this was not resolved.
A resident Baharun Indarsaya, 68, said he was worried that residents would lose patience to find their crops damaged by wild elephants and take their own action by killing them.
“We are worried that what happened in Sungai Udin, Dumpas where an elephant was shot dead would happen again, so we hope that immediate action can be taken to chase the elephants away,“ he said when met in Kampung Jagung yesterday.
He said villagers often saw three elephants eating crops at the villagers’ farms while roaming around the area.
“Although there have been no cases of the elephants destroying a villager’s house, as a precautionary measure, it is advisable to move them as soon as possible,“ he said.
In the meantime, he said, villagers also took their own initiative to chase the mammals away by making loud noises to prevent the elephants from entering the village.
“Since the elephants showed up, I have advised children not to play in the plantation, approach them or do anything that could turn them aggressive,“ said Baharun who has been staying in the village since 1958.
Tawau JHL officer Sailun Aris, when contacted, said he would take appropriate action promptly, as he is currently working on controlling and relocating elephants which have entered the area at Felda Umas.
“A few days ago, we received complaints about the presence of elephants there and we have controlled and chased them away but they might have possibly return to the village,“ he said. — Bernama
