Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – A total of 76,361 human-wildlife conflict complaints involving estimated losses of 58.7 million MYR (14.5 million USD) were recorded in Malaysia between 2021 and May this year.
Speaking recently at the Johor Elephant Sanctuary, Malaysian Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Arthur Joseph Kurup emphasised that these incidents need to be addressed urgently because they not only damage crops and property but can also lead to injuries and loss of life.
According to the minister, conflicts between humans and wild animals such as macaques, elephants, wild boars, tigers and tapirs are becoming increasingly alarming. He said the situation is primarily due to wildlife losing their natural habitats as land is converted for agriculture, plantations and infrastructure development, including roads, dams, residential areas and urban centres. Referring to elephants, he noted that the animals require extensive migration ranges of between 10 and 250 sq.km, depending on food availability and herd size.
Recently, the Malaysian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability has rolled out several initiatives to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts, particularly those involving elephants. These measures include implementing the National Elephant Conservation Action Plan (NECAP), establishing elephant sanctuaries and the National Elephant Conservation Centre (NECC) in Lanchang, Pahang state, and installing electric fencing systems.
Arthur said that the Johor authorities established a special committee last year to coordinate efforts to reduce human-elephant conflict. In addition, it is working with relevant parties to prevent and minimise elephant crossings on railway lines./.
