A herd of elephants only stopped attacking the vehicle and left after seeing the fallen calf get back on its feet.
On November 28, the Bernama news agency reported that a wild herd of six elephants attacked a car on the East-West Highway in Malaysia, causing a family to experience a terrifying ordeal.
The incident occurred around 7:30 PM on November 26 on the highway section in Perak state, as a couple was driving with their 23-year-old son from Penang to Terengganu.
According to the Gerik district police chief (Perak), Zulkifli Mahmood, the 48-year-old driver encountered the herd after a curve heading towards Jeli in Kelantan state.
“The driver accidentally hit a calf, causing it to fall. Upon witnessing this, the other elephants rushed in and began stomping the vehicle“, he stated, adding that the accident occurred during drizzling and foggy weather conditions.
The damaged vehicle after the incident.
The family in the car was not injured but experienced extreme fear. Meanwhile, the Perodua Axia vehicle suffered damage to the front, rear, and left side. The herd left after the calf stood up.
Mr. Zulkifli advised drivers on this highway to exercise caution due to the high likelihood of encountering elephant herds.
According to the Asian elephant conservation organization EleAid, it is estimated that Malaysia has around 2,351 – 3,066 wild elephants, including 1,251 – 1,466 in Peninsular Malaysia and 1,100 – 1,600 in Borneo.
