TAWAU: A wild elephant’s visit to a snack stall at Felda Umas here has captured the attention of residents after a video of the encounter went viral on social media recently.
Resident Alishah Rashid, 31, said the video uploaded on TikTok showed the elephant walking along a village lane before stopping in front of a roadside stall at around 11am, entertaining residents who witnessed the animal’s behaviour.
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She said the elephant appeared calm and docile as it paused briefly at the stall, as though wanting to stop by or mingle with people before continuing on its way.
“This is actually common in our village. Sometimes an elephant comes alone, other times they come in a group.
“It has never damaged residents’ homes, but crops are often targeted, causing losses to residents,” she said.
Alishah said residents had previously lodged complaints with the authorities and several elephants had been relocated to other areas.
“However, not long after that, the elephants returned to this area. Their presence is sometimes entertaining for residents, but we remain concerned.
“We believe that as long as humans do not disturb the elephants, the animals will not turn aggressive.
“We hope the authorities can take appropriate action so that unwanted incidents can be avoided,” she said.
