KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 — Sulong, the wild male elephant that drew attention after being spotted along the Gerik-Jeli East-West Highway (JRTB) in recent days, has now moved into a forested area in Kelantan.
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) director-general Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim said monitoring showed Sulong was no longer detected along the JRTB towards Jeli, Kosmo! Online reported.
He said Perhilitan personnel had been deployed to monitor the elephant’s movements and condition using drones and regular ground patrols.
“Perhilitan is aware of the concerns raised by the public regarding this issue. Department personnel have been deployed to monitor Sulong’s movements and condition using drones, as well as through regular ground monitoring,” he said.
He said drones would be deployed at suitable locations to help track the elephant’s movements and location, alongside ground monitoring by Perhilitan personnel.
Abdul Kadir said any effort to rescue or handle Sulong could only be carried out once the elephant was in a suitable and safe location.
“This is important to ensure that the action taken does not pose additional risks to the elephant or compromise the safety of the operation personnel and the public,” he said.
He also urged motorists to follow instructions from enforcement personnel and Perhilitan officers and refrain from taking photographs or videos of the elephant, as stopping vehicles could disrupt traffic flow.
He said members of the public were also prohibited from feeding Sulong or leaving food for the animal along the JRTB.
