Farmers in Mersing in distress over elephant menace

MERSING – Farmers in Kg Lubok Sawah here are facing the risk of losing their livelihood as a herd of elephants has been attacking and destroying their oil palm trees.

One of the farmers, Abd Zaini Abd Aziz, 55, claimed that he has been dealing with the issue for the past 19 years, and lately, the number of animals was seen to be increasing at his estate, which covers an area of over three acres.

“Last week, more than 20 elephants attacked the oil palm trees, compared to previously when there were only two or three of them. They are getting bolder as they even appear during the day and have begun to enter the surrounding housing area.

“Usually, when a new farm is opened, elephants will wander into the village area to look for food, and the palm trees that are growing will be their favourite source of food,” he said when met by reporters recently.

He said that after failing to earn as much as he had expected, he was forced to look for an alternative source of income by working as a craftsman to support his family.

He said that together with the villagers, he had tried to chase the elephants away by patrolling the area or setting firecrackers and bonfires, but at times the efforts were in vain.

Zaini hopes that the relevant authorities will be able to take the appropriate action because the farmers are not just suffering losses but also facing safety risks as the wild elephants are aggressive and not afraid of humans.

Another farmer, Aminah Dollah, 56, who lives in an area surrounded by oil palm trees, said she has been having close encounters with the elephants more often these days, regardless of the time, adding that about 30 of her palm trees were destroyed recently.

“These elephants are taller than the roof of the house. We suspect they come from the nearby forest, which has been cleared, forcing the wild animals to seek food elsewhere, including in Kg Pengkalan Batu and Kg Baru Jemari,” she explained. 

On April 18, Johor Tourism, Environment, Heritage and Culture Committee chairman K. Raven Kumar said the state government was planning a sustainable and comprehensive solution with the cooperation of the federal government to deal with the elephant-human conflict issue.

The Tenggaroh assemblyman said an Elephant Conservation Action Plan Committee would be established to coordinate and implement actions for the mitigation of human-wildlife conflict at the district and state levels. – Bernama, June 25, 2023