LETTER | Regarding the three dead elephants recently found in Kampung Sri Timur 3, Kluang, I am deeply dismayed by some of the baseless comments made by certain netizens.

First, it is unfair to claim that the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia (Perhilitan) staff is sleeping on the job and having wrong priorities. 

Do you know that the Perhilitan district staff’s job responsibilities include wildlife monitoring, research, forest patrols, wildlife trade enforcement, outreach, and of course, the never-ending human-wildlife (i.e. pigeons, crows, herons, otters, macaques, wild pigs, large carnivores and elephants) conflicts?

Do you know how few staff there are in each district to deal with all the responsibilities listed above? Do you also know that their budget has been slashed significantly due to Malaysia’s high government debt? It is seriously unrealistic to expect Perhilitan staff to chase away crop-raiding elephants, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

To prevent the public from further contaminating the scene where the three dead elephants were found, the district staff had already been guarding the perimeter since morning.

I was present when the forensic crew from Kuala Lumpur arrived at the scene around 4pm. After suiting up, they wasted no time combing the scene for evidence, before beginning the tedious post-mortem on three dead adult elephants.

A downpour started around 6pm, but they continued and managed to finish the post-mortem after a brief “buka puasa” break around 7pm. And mind you, this incident occurred on Raya eve when most people were already back in their hometown to be with their family. 

With such professionalism and dedication displayed by the Perhilitan staff, credit must be given where credit is due.

Too good to be true? A group of Good Samaritans, mostly from Kluang, volunteered to bury the three dead elephants for free. They must have stayed with the Perhilitan staff until the carcasses were properly buried.

Any doubter should have no trouble getting in touch with this group of Good Samaritans to verify, especially since they have been providing similar free services in the Kluang area for some time.

Second, do try and understand the root cause of the human-elephant conflicts in Kahang. It is not a coincidence that the human-elephant conflicts have been increasing in the vicinity of Kahang since the construction of Kahang Dam near Felda Kahang Timur in 2013.

It is a harsh fact that we deforested and flooded the habitats where elephants forage, sleep and breed, in order to meet our growing demand of water. And now, we are blaming the elephants for venturing into a human-dominated landscape and resorting to crop-raiding after losing their habitats to us?

Third, regardless of the nuisance and damage caused by elephants, and that complaints had allegedly fallen on deaf ears, the rule of law applies. Killing elephants that are protected under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010, in retaliation for their crop-raiding behaviour, is unacceptable. 

I can understand and reluctantly accept farmers shooting pellets to chase away elephants, but elephant-killing should not go unpunished. Rules are what separates us from animals.

Also, if the three elephants were truly killed by deliberate poisoning, the amount and potency of the poison used must be staggering, especially given the size of those adult elephants. Imagine if someone accidentally ingested the poison, or contaminated crops managed to reach the market. The repercussions would be devastating.

Fourth, farmers should take into account the risks in planting crops in a landscape where human-elephant conflicts are frequent. 

There should be no excuse for not investing and maintaining effective mitigation tools to deal with elephants. Instead of mere firecrackers, well-maintained electric fences are always the better option to deter elephants. 

Yes, the government should help and coordinate elephant mitigation strategies, but one should not expect the government to provide everything.

Besides, there are cash crops such as red chili, lemongrass, and ginger that elephants generally do not disturb. 

The indigenous peoples from Kampung Peta who live just outside of the Endau Rompin National Park are experimenting to find out which crop is less susceptible to elephant raids. It is possible to coexist with elephants. Adapt and overcome instead.

Lastly, stop alleging that the authorities are transferring elephants to human-elephant conflict areas. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but do refrain from making uncorroborated statements. The last thing we need is more unfounded rumours and fake news. 

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.