Another Elephant Hit By Vehicle: Animal Escapes Into Forest With Its Herd After Collision
The accident occurred as four elephants were crossing the road.
Cover image via Just three days after a heartbreaking elephant-vehicle collision, another similar incident has occurred.
This time, it occurred along Jalan Johor Bahru–Mersing in Johor.
According to the New Straits Times, a couple driving their multipurpose vehicle (MPV) crashed into an elephant at around 9.20pm yesterday, 13 May.
The couple, aged 40 and 38, was driving from Kota Tinggi to Mersing and encountered four elephants crossing the road.
District police chief Supt Yusof Othman said the MPV driver could not brake in time and collided with one of the animals.
The couple was unharmed, but their MPV sustained significant damage.
Following the collision, the elephant retreated into the nearby forest, accompanied by the three other elephants in its group
"A police report was lodged for insurance purposes, and we have referred the matter to the state Wildlife and National Parks Department (PERHILITAN) for further action," Yusof told the New Straits Times.
Police have since urged motorists to remain vigilant, especially when driving through forested or wildlife-prone areas at night.
Johor has recorded at least 14 road accidents involving endangered or protected species over the past two years
These include collisions with Malayan tapirs, sun bears, and elephants, predominantly along roads that traverse or border forest reserves, such as Endau-Rompin, Kota Tinggi, Panti Forest, Kluang, and Mersing.
Environmentalists have urged the government to install wildlife crossings and improve signage along key wildlife corridors in the state to prevent future accidents.
Johor Public Works, Transport, Infrastructure and Communications Committee chairperson Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh said the state is exploring mitigation measures, including wildlife crossings in the form of eco-ducts, underpasses, and elevated crossings.
He acknowledged that such infrastructure could help reconnect fragmented habitats and reduce fatal encounters between wildlife and vehicles.
