IPOH, Oct 17 — The Perak Elephant Capture Unit (UTGP) of Perak Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) has caught a bull elephant which was striking fears among villagers as well as damaging crops in Kampung Plang, Gerik about 200 km from here.

Perhilitan Perak in a statement today said the operation to capture the elephant weighing about two tonnes started on Oct 5 before the bull was caught on Monday and transferred to Terengganu National Park today.

According to the statement, the process of transferring the elephant aged between 12 to 14 years involved 20 Perak Wildlife staff with the help of the Lanchang National Elephant Conservation Centre, Pahang as well as two decoy elephants named Rambai and Alam.

"The wild elephant is from a herd of 45 in Belum. Investigation found that the elephant was separated from its group and made the Gerik Forest Reserve as its roaming area.

"The herd of elephants is the same one which encroached Felda Bersia, Kampung Pecah Batu, Kampung Bongor, East-West Highway and the surrounding areas,” the statement said.

Perhilitan Perak added, the elephant encroached the villages to look for food and damaged crops such as rubber, coconut, sugarcane and durian, causing residents to be afraid to attend to their crops.

The elephant is the second captured by UTGP in the same area after the first elephant last year which was transferred to the Terengganu Elephant Sanctuary. — Bernama