Malaysia vows to protect elephants after calf’s death sparks outcry over lapsed promises

Eight elephants have been killed in traffic collisions in Peninsular Malaysia over the past five years, three of them in this year alone

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A family of elephants crosses a road. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 12:48pm, 14 May 2025

The outpouring of grief over the death of an elephant calf that was hit by a truck on Mother’s Day has prompted Malaysian authorities to renew pledges to expand wildlife sanctuaries, road crossings and natural corridors to limit the risks posed by humans.

Footage of the mother elephant’s frantic attempts to rescue her calf, pinned beneath a 10-tonne (22,000-pound) truck on the East-West Highway, went viral in Malaysia, evoking a mix of sadness and anger as it reignited public criticism of the government’s unfulfilled wildlife protection promises.

The highway cuts through the 30,000-hectare (74,000-acre) Belum-Temenggor forest reserve, a known crossing point for elephants and the critically endangered Malayan tiger.

Eight elephants have been killed in traffic collisions in Peninsular Malaysia over the past five years, three of them in this year alone, according to Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

A still from a social-media video shows the mother elephant trying to free her calf after it was hit by a truck on Malaysia’s East-West Highway on Sunday. Photo: Facebook

“It is not just a tragic accident, but reflects a major challenge in the relationship between humans and nature, particularly in our efforts to maintain the survival of wild species in an increasingly fragmented and discontinuous landscape,” Nik Nazmi said on Tuesday.