KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 — Wild elephants entered the compound of Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Chalil in Rancangan Kemajuan Tanah (RKT) Kesedar Chalil, Gua Musang, yesterday, alarming teachers and nearby residents.
Residents said it was the first time three elephants had entered the school compound, Harian Metro reported.
Sa’rani Hassan, 64, vice president of the school’s Parent-Teacher Association (PIBG), said more than 1,500 residents in the area now live in fear due to increasingly frequent elephant sightings.
He said wild elephants had entered the village over ten times before, often damaging crops planted near homes.
“The wild elephants are believed to have entered the teachers’ housing area at around 3am, damaging fences, coconut trees, oil palms and banana trees nearby.
“At 6.30am yesterday, the elephants were still in the school compound and were eating plants in the surrounding area,” he said.
Suhaimi Che Hamid, 54, head of Kesedar Chalil settlers’ neighbourhood watch, said elephant incidents have become more frequent in the past month, raising safety concerns among villagers.
Kelantan Perhilitan director Mohamad Hafid Rohani confirmed that the department has received complaints from residents and is monitoring the situation.
