Malaysians Are Heartbroken By Video Of Mother Elephant Refusing To Leave Her Dead Calf
The calf was struck and pinned under a lorry near the Belum-Temenggor Forest Reserve.
Cover image via XA mother elephant had to be sedated and relocated after refusing to leave her calf's side for over five hours following a fatal road accident along the Gerik-Jeli Highway early Sunday morning
The calf, believed to be a 5-year-old male, was struck and pinned under a lorry near the Belum-Temenggor Forest Reserve, a known wildlife corridor, shortly after 3.30am.
Despite bystanders and wildlife officers' efforts to intervene, the mother elephant stayed by her calf's side, desperately trying to push the lorry in a futile attempt to save him.
Watch the viral video of the mother elephant trying to rescue her baby below:
Video may be distressing for some, viewer discretion is advised.
The mother was seen circling the lorry, using her head to try and dislodge it. Witnesses reported that she stood guard at the scene from before dawn until well after sunrise, unwilling to let go.
"For the safety of our personnel and the public, we had to relocate the mother elephant away from the crash site," said Perak Perhilitan director Yusoff Shariff, as quoted by New Straits Times.
At around 9am, officers sedated her and used a four-wheel-drive vehicle to gently pull her back into the nearby forest. By 11.30am, Perhilitan personnel managed to remove and bury the calf's body using a tow truck and bulldozer.
Malaysians expressed heartbreak over the footage of the mama elephant's clear distress, especially as it happened on Mother's Day
"Imagine having a baby clinging everyday for past 5 years 24×7 and all of the sudden its gone. I dont think she can recover from this. [sic]" commented a social media user.
Another user simply said, "I realise it's an accident… But this is heartbreaking especially on Mother's Day."
Image via SAYS (Instagram)
Meanwhile, others called for reinforcement of laws protecting wildlife, the implementation of safe wildlife crossings, stricter speed enforcement in high-risk zones, and greater habitat preservation.
Image via SAYS (Instagram)
Image via SAYS (Instagram)
The day after the incident, another video surfaced showing a lone elephant walking along the same stretch of highway
The TikTok clip, posted by user @WafiyZulkhairi, claims the elephant is the same grieving mother, now searching for her lost calf.
"She is still searching for her baby who died yesterday," the caption reads. "It is heartbreaking."
However, Perhilitan has not confirmed this.
"We cannot tell if it is the same elephant," said Yusoff, quoted by New Straits Times.
"Females rarely move alone, they are usually with a herd. We believe the grieving mother has likely returned to the forest and rejoined the others in search of food."
Still, Yusoff did not rule out the possibility of the mother returning to the site in the future.
Watch the TikTok video of the lone elephant spotted on the road the next day:
This is not the first time wildlife has been killed along the East-West Highway
The road, which cuts through critical rainforest habitat, has become a hotspot for vehicle-wildlife collisions. Conservationists have long urged authorities to build more wildlife crossings and implement stricter speed limits to prevent such incidents.
If you encounter wildlife on the road, contact Perhilitan immediately at 1-800-88-5151.
Motorists are urged to slow down when passing through forested areas, especially during early morning and evening hours.
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Image via SAYS
