Senior Citizen Shocked After Encountering Wild Elephant in Sungai Siput Durian Orchard

Senior Citizen Shocked After Encountering Wild Elephant in Sungai Siput Durian Orchard

A senior citizen experienced a terrifying moment when she encountered a wild male elephant in her durian orchard in Kampung Lasah last Monday.

Mariam Hitam, 63, said she went to the orchard around 9 a.m. to collect durians, unaware of the large animal's presence as she mistook it for a tree trunk.

“I was shocked to see an elephant right before my eyes. Usually, we find dung or trees damaged by elephants, but this time there were no signs (of an elephant's presence) at all. I didn't even hear the elephant.”

“So I didn't realize the animal was so close to me,” she said when met during an elephant relocation operation by the Perak Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) today.

Mariam expressed her gratitude that the elephant did not attack, but instead turned its back on her before slowly retreating.

“I told my friend about the elephant's presence, but at first, she didn't believe me. After checking, we were shocked again to see another male elephant not far from that location.

“In all the time I've lived here, I have never seen an elephant with my own eyes. This incident left me with a fever from the shock,” she shared.

Meanwhile, Perak Perhilitan Director, Yusoff Shariff, confirmed that the two 25-year-old male elephants, weighing approximately 2.5 tonnes each, were from the ID Piah herd.

“Complaints about elephant disturbances have been received since February, but they have become more frequent this month due to the fruit season. These two elephants will be relocated to a more suitable and safer natural habitat,” he explained.

The incident is expected to increase vigilance among local residents, especially during the fruit season, when human-wildlife conflicts often occur.

-KOSMO! ONLINE