LAHAD DATU, June 2 — The Lahad Datu District Wildlife Department is conducting an operation to drive 25 elephants to their original habitat in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve area after they were seen wandering around Kg Teburi and Kampung Sri Darun near here.

Its officer, Silvester Saimin, said 16 personnel were involved in the operation which was carried out during the day while they stood guard at night, after receiving complaints from the villagers, since May 21.

"We scare off the elephants by making a lot of noise,” he said when contacted here, today.

Silvester said a check at both villages found that the wild elephants had damaged the villagers’ crops, but did not disturb the residents.

The 25 elephants from the Tabin Wildlife Reserve, which bordered the villages, had encroached into the Bagahak 1 plantation but intruded into the human settlements after they were disturbed by activities to fell old oil palm trees in the plantation for replanting, he added. — Bernama