ON a quiet stretch of road in Gerik on Sunday, a heart-wrenching scene unfolded — an elephant stood guard over her lifeless calf, gently nudging its still body, unwilling to let go. The young elephant had been struck down by a container lorry, leaving its mother to grieve in silence — a raw and powerful image of maternal sorrow in the wild.
In a desperate and grieving attempt, she tried to push the massive vehicle away, as if willing time to reverse, or justice to prevail.
According to the news article published in Scoop, she refused to leave, nudging her baby’s still form with her trunk, her sorrow etched into every slow movement. And it was Mother’s Day!
The poignant scene not only stirred the hearts of those who witnessed it but soon rippled across the nation, catching the eye of other media outlets and prompting an outpouring of sorrow and reflection from conservationists, animal lovers, and concerned citizens alike.
This Mother’s Day tragedy is just the latest in a disturbing pattern of human-elephant conflicts across Malaysia — an escalating crisis with deadly consequences on both sides.
Saga of human-elephant standoffs
The increasing confrontations between humans and elephants are becoming a serious issue. While the growing population of endangered elephants offers a silver lining, fatal incidents involving both people and animals, particularly on Malaysian roads and remote farms, highlight an urgent need for action.
On March 20 this year, a Wildlife Department (Perhilitan) officer and a 62-year-old woman were injured in an elephant attack in Kelantan. Just weeks earlier, on April 14, a baby elephant died after being hit by an SUV at KM50, also in Kelantan.
Last September 6, a male elephant was struck and killed by a trailer in Kluang, Johor.
On September 26, tragedy struck again when 31-year-old Mohamad Syafik Yakob was trampled to death by an elephant at Felda Tenggaroh 5, Mersing. According to his father, Syafik was chased and tossed by the enraged animal during the morning incident.
On November 12, a family narrowly escaped death when their vehicle was stepped on by a herd of elephants after crashing into a calf along the 55km milestone of the East-West Highway.
Earlier, in June last year, the carcasses of a mother elephant and her three calves were found in Kluang. All four had suffered respiratory and organ failure, with internal bleeding, believed to be the result of poisoning.
Silent tragedy of Sabah’s Pygmy elephants
It has been more than a decade since the forests of Sabah began whispering a sorrowful tale — one not of natural extinction, but of slow, human-induced erasure of the world’s rarest elephant species.
In January 2013, the world was jolted awake by the heart-wrenching image of a calf trying to rouse its dead mother in the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve.
She was one of 14 endangered pygmy elephants found lifeless over a span of three weeks, suspected victims of poisoning. The image made global headlines and drew attention to what many conservationists already feared: Sabah’s gentle forest giants were under siege.
But the outrage was short-lived.
In August 2014, tragedy struck again. A bull elephant was shot several times near Tawau, its massive body riddled with bullets to the head and chest. Officials believed the animal had strayed too close to human territory — punished simply for crossing an invisible line.
Two years later, in October 2016, the pattern of cruelty deepened. A male elephant was found dead near a palm oil estate in Kinabatangan—its tusks brutally removed, likely by poachers. The mutilation was a grisly echo of the ivory greed that continues to fuel wildlife crimes around the world.
In September 2017, another elephant perished slowly and painfully—this time caught in a snare trap near the Segama River in Lahad Datu. It had likely struggled for days, its injuries severe, its suffering unimaginable.
The most haunting of all
In December 2019, the bloated body of a tuskless male pygmy elephant was found floating in a river in Beluran. The post-mortem revealed it had been shot more than 70 times. Though it had no tusks, it had wandered into a plantation - an intrusion that cost it its life.
By November 2020, the cycle of loss had reached a new low. A pregnant elephant was found poisoned in Kinabatangan. Her unborn calf died with her, their lifeless forms yet another chapter in Sabah’s growing ledger of shame.
Between 2021 and 2024, the deaths have continued quietly — scattered across remote forests, oil palm estates, and riversides. Some were caught in snares, others poisoned or gunned down. Though investigations are launched and headlines flare briefly, few arrests are made. Fewer still result in charges.
The silence was deafening
Sabah’s pygmy elephants — rare, iconic, and irreplaceable — are vanishing. Not because nature failed them, but because we humans did. Unless bold protection measures, stricter enforcement, and real political will take root soon, these gentle jumbos may fade into myth — known only by the photos we took after they were gone.
‘Entire herd feels the pain’
Speaking to Scoop, elephant ecologist Dr Wong Ee Phin shared her insights on the deep bond between mother elephants and their calves:
“The connection between a mother and her calf is profound. A female elephant can spend up to seven years raising her young, and the loss of a calf is a devastating blow—not only to the mother but to the entire herd,” said Dr Wong, Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham Malaysia.
As the Principal Investigator of the Management & Ecology of Malaysian Elephants (MEME), Wong further explained: “The Gerik-Jeli highway, with its challenging mountainous terrain, is inherently dangerous, and accidents are unfortunately common, even without wildlife involvement.”
“When visibility is low — particularly during rain or at night — the likelihood of collisions with elephants increases. Our research indicates that elephants often cross this road at night,” she added.
To reduce the risk of such tragic encounters, Wong emphasised the importance of prioritising driver safety. “The simplest and most effective solution is to avoid driving on this stretch of road at night, particularly for large vehicles,” she said.
“If nighttime travel is unavoidable, ensure you are well-rested and drive at a reduced speed. This small adjustment could save both human and elephant lives.”
Wong also suggested a more proactive approach: "A simple yet effective solution would be to close the road to traffic at night, allowing wildlife to cross safely. At the very least, restricting heavy trucks during nighttime hours would reduce the risk of accidents."
Traffic could then resume in the morning when visibility improves, giving elephants a safer passage and minimising the potential for collisions.
While human-elephant conflict in Malaysia is often linked to crop and property damage, occasional human injury and even fatalities do occur, especially during unexpected encounters when people are unaware of the elephants’ presence.
A study conducted by MEME in Peninsular Malaysia highlights that agricultural landscapes are crucial habitats for wild elephants. Efforts are ongoing in oil palm and forest plantations to foster a more harmonious coexistence between humans and elephants in these shared spaces.
According to Wong, in Malaysia, we have more elephants killed by humans than humans killed by elephants.
She said: “There are active elephant research and conservation groups in both Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah who are supporting the effort to create harmonious human-elephant coexistence.
“They often exchange knowledge and information among the projects and with researchers in other elephant range countries in order to keep abreast with the development and advancement in this field.
“Currently, there are concerns with the wild Asian elephant populations in the region of Southeast Asia. Many elephant populations in this region are losing their traditional ranges and are becoming isolated and fragmented.
In Malaysia, the number of elephants killed by humans far exceeds the number of human casualties from elephant encounters. This stark reality is also reflected in reports from the IUCN Asian Elephant Specialist Group.
Despite the challenges, Wong remains optimistic. She said: “There are active elephant research and conservation groups in both Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah who are supporting efforts to create harmonious human-elephant coexistence.
“These groups work diligently to exchange knowledge and collaborate with researchers in other elephant range countries, ensuring that they stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in this field.”
Wong acknowledges the growing concerns about the wild Asian elephant populations in Southeast Asia, as many of these herds are losing their traditional ranges, becoming isolated and fragmented.
However, she believes that through continued collaboration and research, there is still hope for reversing these trends and protecting these magnificent creatures for future generations.
Elephants less wary of human contact
While human-elephant conflicts have persisted for centuries, the increasing frequency of recent encounters highlights the pressing need for a comprehensive solution.
In an interview with Bernama News Agency in March this year, Perak Perhilitan Director Yusoff Shariff emphasised that, while monitoring efforts are ongoing, the rising elephant population is becoming an undeniable factor.
Elephants are increasingly adapting to human-dominated landscapes, growing less wary of human contact, which has resulted in more frequent sightings.
“Perak, with nearly 50% of its land still forested and connected to southern Thailand, offers an ideal environment for elephants to thrive,” Yusoff explained.
He also pointed out that the widespread use of smartphones has made it easier for people to report incidents, leading to a noticeable increase in complaints. The growing awareness among the public, particularly younger generations, has played a significant role in promoting conservation efforts.
However, Yusoff noted that land clearing for development has forced elephants into plantations and human settlements. Elephants often return to their familiar roaming areas, making encounters more likely.
Concerns over road safety continue to rise, as reports of elephants being struck and killed by vehicles persist, underscoring the dangers near their natural habitats.
As the tragic scene of a grieving mother elephant standing over her lifeless calf serves as a heartbreaking reminder, the reality is clear: unless we act now, the future of these majestic creatures — and their survival in our forests — hangs in the balance.
The question is, how many more lives must be lost before we truly begin to understand the cost of our callous negligence?
Joseph Masilamany is a seasoned journalist and Scoop contributing writer.
The post Trampled truths: The toll of human-elephant conflicts — Joseph Masilamany appeared first on Scoop.
