Compiled by TAN SIN CHOW, JOSEPH KAOS Jr and R. ARAVINTHAN
VILLAGERS in Kampung Tok Uban in Kuala Krai are living in fear as wild elephants by the dozens continue to roam and ravage the Kelantan village over the past month, Sinar Harian reported.
Residents related how they encountered at least 20 wild elephants in the village with many of the large mammals loitering outside their homes.
Farmers also complained of their crops being destroyed by the elephants.
“Before this, I had never even seen an elephant. But now they are just right outside my house. It is not just one or two, we are talking about a large group of up to 20 elephants,” said villager Mohd Ridzuman Hanapi.
The 37-year-old added that the wild elephants started appearing on May 26, and the 90 families in the village have been filled with anxiety since.
Farmer Mohd Azhar Mat Jusoh said he was forced to stay in his farm overnight to protect his vegetable and banana crops from being destroyed by the elephants.
“I have to set up a fire to scare the elephants,” said the 43-year-old.
Kelantan Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director Mohamad Hafid Rohani said the department would deal with the elephants in the village.
He said putting up electric or barbed-wire fences are being considered.
> Desperate to avoid arrest, a 30-year-old man who was detained by the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) officers mixed his urine with tap water during a drug test in the hope of testing negative.
However, the man’s ruse failed to deceive the officers, Harian Metro reported.
The man was among 12 arrested in a sting operation by the Hulu Langat AADK division. All tested positive in the screenings conducted.
The ops in Sungai Ramal along the Kajang Dispersal Link Expressway was jointly conducted by AADK, Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department, and Road Transport Department.
The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.
