THE Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN) has launched a nationwide Integrated Elephant Translocation Operation to relocate 25 wild elephants from conflict-prone areas across Peninsular Malaysia. The year-long initiative begins this month and will run until July 2026, starting in Johor.
PERHILITAN director-general Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim said the programme aims to address human-elephant conflict more systematically, focusing on high-risk areas where elephant herds are known to damage farms, encroach on villages, and disturb residential settlements.
“This operation targets high-risk areas by identifying and relocating elephant herds that disrupt farms, villages and residential areas,” he said while officiating the operation’s Johor phase today.
Also present were Johor Health and Environment Committee chairman Ling Tiang Soon and Johor PERHILITAN director Aminuddin Jamin.
Abdul Kadir explained that the programme is also part of a broader effort to restore ecological balance by controlling elephant populations outside their natural habitats. In addition, data collected throughout the operation will inform future wildlife management strategies.
The operation is being led by Johor PERHILITAN, with support from the Elephant Transfer Team of the National Elephant Conservation Centre (NECC) in Kuala Gandah, Pahang, and wildlife teams from Perak, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Technologies including drone surveillance, digital movement mapping, and early warning systems will be deployed to reduce risks to surrounding communities.
Peninsular Malaysia is currently home to an estimated 1,300 wild elephants. Between 2020 and 2024, PERHILITAN recorded 4,919 human-elephant conflict incidents nationwide, resulting in an estimated RM39.4 million in losses, mainly in Johor, Kelantan, Perak and Pahang.
“This effort supports several national frameworks, including the National Elephant Conservation Action Plan (NECAP), the National Policy on Biological Diversity 2022–2030, and the National Forestry Policy,” said Abdul Kadir.
He also expressed gratitude to the Johor state government for allocating RM600,000 to support the operation, describing it as a strong commitment to both biodiversity protection and human-wildlife conflict mitigation. - July 14, 2025
