Just like what the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) predicted, the mother elephant that lost her calf was spotted returning to the accident scene last night (May 11).
In an accident that took place on East-West Highway (Jalan Raya Timur-Barat, JRTB) Gerik-Jeli yesterday, the mother elephant was seen moving the lorry with its head after its calf was stuck under the wheels. The calf did not make it, but the mother elephant stayed there for hours, grieving and waiting to see her calf.
Officials had no choice but to give an appropriate amount of tranquillisers to relocate the elephant that refused to leave, hoping that it would follow another herd.
Despite being relocated 1 KM away, the same mammal is believed to have returned to the scene where it lost its calf, forever.
The heartbreaking scene was shared by a TikTok user @kek_pisa17g, who confirmed the presence of the mammal, believed to be the mother elephant, revisiting the accident scene.
According to BBC Animals, an elephant, on average, carries its calf in the womb for a long 22 months, which is the longest gestation period for a mammal.
In a statement by the Ministry of Works last night (May 11), the government said that a total of RM4 million has been allocated in collaboration with Perhilitan to set up the street lights on 39 hotspots where the elephants roam.
The locations include Pahang, Kelantan, Kedah, Johor, and Perak.
The mother elephant, sadly, lost her calf on Mother’s Day, and hopefully, with the government’s effort, the road can be safer for both drivers and the animals.
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