GUA MUSANG – The discovery of a cow carcass on September 8, with wounds believed to be caused by a wild elephant’s tusk, has alarmed a group of farmers at the Kg Awek Land Rehabilitation Programme (RPT) under Kesedar, South Kelantan’s land development authority.
They claimed that the presence of the wild animal was detected in the area of Kg Lembaga and the Sg Terah RPT in the last two weeks, when about 200 banana and palm trees were found ruined.
Nik Arifin Nik Muhammad, 59, said he was shocked when he was told that his cow had been found dead at around 7am last Friday.
“I was shocked and sad when I saw the carcass of the cow with a 3-cm stab wound.
“This is the first time something like this has happened since I started cultivating rubber in this area almost 15 years ago. That is why we are afraid to go out to tap rubber and harvest bananas,” he told reporters when met at the Sg Terah RPT here.
Another farmer in Kg Lembaga, Ismail Awang Hamad, 60, said the wild elephant had entered his plantation several times and he even saw the animal there last week.
“So far, it has destroyed more than 100 banana trees and 80 palm trees. There is also elephant dung and footprints all over the place. A report was filed with the Wildlife and National Parks Department [Perhilitan] on August 27.
“More than 15 farmers are affected and we are afraid to work. We hope Perhilitan can catch the elephant as soon as possible,” he said.
Meanwhile, Galas assemblyman Mohd Syahbuddin Hashim said elephants in the affected areas must be captured immediately to reduce the farmers’ losses. – September 10, 2023