GUA MUSANG - The Orang Asli community in Pos Brooke here is feeling anxious as wild elephants roaming near the settlement are becoming more brazen and starting to approach residents’ homes.
A resident, Reingil Rajis Angah, 48, said a tusker entered the village last week and damaged the wall of a house in Kampung Liak.
"The incident occurred at around 3 am. The elephant smashed the house wall, stole a mattress, and ate it. At the time of the incident, the homeowner’s son was sleeping on the mattress. However, he was able to escape.
"The elephants destroyed our crops and got too close to our houses. So we are worried about our safety,” he said when we met at Kampung Brooke Lama.
Village head Rian Bujang said the presence of a wild elephant since three months ago still worries more than 500 Orang Asli residents in three villages in Pos Brooke.
According to him, the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) has come to monitor the situation, but the threat from the mammals still occurs.
Rian claimed that one of the four elephants not only often roamed freely in Kampung Kuala Rengil, Kampung Brooke Lama and Kampung Liak but also destroyed vegetables, tubers and corn crops grown by the Orang Asli in the area.
"We hope Perhilitan can work on other ways to move the wild elephants to other areas to avoid constant threats, including on the lives of local residents.
"More and more of our crops are being destroyed. The elephant has become bolder and entered the village,” he said.
Meanwhile, Galas assemblyman Mohd Syahbuddin Hasim hoped that over 30 villagers whose crops were damaged by the elephants can be compensated.
"This is a source of livelihood for the villagers, and when these crops are damaged, their income is also affected. So this has made life more difficult for the villagers,” he said. - BERNAMA