A LOGGING foreman, Saidi Jahari, 43, was killed after being trampled by a herd of wild elephants at Felda Aring 8 last Wednesday night.
Workers residing in a communal logging camp had first noticed the strong scent of elephants and heard loud noises outside before the animals attacked.
Superintendent Sik Choon Foo, the District Police Chief of Gua Musang, said the incident is believed to have occurred twice over several hours.
“They smelled a strong elephant scent and heard noises outside the hut before realising a herd of wild elephants was approaching. All the workers fled into the forest to save themselves, but one local man was caught by an elephant,” he said.
Several hours later, the workers returned to the camp and found Saidi still alive but seriously injured, with both legs broken.
“They brought the victim inside the communal house for temporary protection. However, not long after, a bull elephant, believed to be the herd leader, returned and attacked them again,” Sik added.
During the second assault, the workers fled into the forest, leaving Saidi behind for fear of further attack.
“After the area calmed, the group returned and found the victim was no longer there. Searches nearby discovered Saidi deceased on the exit path, with severe injuries consistent with being trampled by an elephant,” he said.
Saidi’s body was sent to Hospital Gua Musang for post-mortem examination.
The Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) is actively tracking and managing the herd in the logging area.
“Investigations are ongoing and the case has been classified as sudden death. The public is advised not to speculate and to respect the family’s privacy,” Sik said.
Saidi’s younger brother, Sulaiman Jahari, 32, recounted the last meeting with his elder brother during Deepavali celebrations. “I did not expect that it would be our final meeting. Usually, he was quiet and did not talk much about work, but during dinner he was cheerful and lively,” he said.
Sulaiman added that Saidi had worked in the logging industry for about 30 years but had only been at Felda Aring 8 for two weeks. “This area was newly opened for logging. During all his years of work, he had never spoken about encounters with wild animals,” he said.
He received a call around 11am informing him of the attack and rushed to Hospital Gua Musang.
“We were informed that my brother had died after being attacked by wild elephants at his new workplace. I arrived from Ketereh around 3pm and collected the body later that evening. He will be buried in Ketereh upon arrival,” Sulaiman said. - October 31, 2025
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