As part of its long-term strategy to mitigate human-elephant conflicts, Johor plans to establish 21 food banks along elephant migratory routes across three districts.
During his visit to the Johor Elephant Sanctuary (JES) on Tuesday (Nov 12), state health and environment committee chairman Ling Tian Soon explained that providing sufficient food within forest areas would reduce the likelihood of elephants straying into plantations or villages nearby.
Ling, who is also the Yong Peng assemblyman, noted that the state government has allocated RM9mil to install electric fencing along a 16km stretch around the Panti forest reserve to prevent elephants from entering nearby communities.
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During his visit to the Johor Elephant Sanctuary (JES) on Tuesday (Nov 12), state health and environment committee chairman Ling Tian Soon explained that providing sufficient food within forest areas would reduce the likelihood of elephants straying into plantations or villages nearby.
Ling, who is also the Yong Peng assemblyman, noted that the state government has allocated RM9mil to install electric fencing along a 16km stretch around the Panti forest reserve to prevent elephants from entering nearby communities.
Read more at https://tinyurl.com/2p9znsex
WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news
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NewsTranscript
00:00Thank you to all the media who followed me to JAS Johor Elephant Sanctuary today.
00:10We also have some YB Adun from the Kota Tinggi area.
00:15They always receive complaints from local residents about the conflict between humans and elephants.
00:27Previously, the Kota Tinggi area had the highest number of complaints about the conflict between humans and elephants.
00:34This year alone, the number of complaints has reached 64.
00:40Johor Elephant Sanctuary has its own function.
00:43We have 72 hectares of land in the Panti forest.
00:51Elephants are a source of education and rescue.
00:57Elephants are also a food bank.
01:00Elephants in the Panti area are attracted to come here to get their food.
01:10We have also launched a project worth RM9 million to build a fence around the Panti forest between the forest and village.
01:26There are several villages that benefit from the elephants.
01:33Elephants are not easy to access to their villages.
01:37Elephants are an obstacle for elephants to enter the JAS area to get their food.
01:48Hopefully, with this initiative, the conflict between humans and elephants in this area will be reduced by 50%.
01:58Not only that, the government and the university have also conducted research.
02:05The best thing we can do is to build a food bank for the elephants.
02:12We don't want them to be trapped or relocated.
02:16We don't want to harm the elephants.
02:19The best thing we can do is to provide them with sufficient food.
02:27We have also set up food banks for the elephants in the JAS area.
02:38JAS is one of the food banks for the elephants in the JAS area.
02:46Hopefully, with this initiative, the conflict between humans and elephants in the JAS area will be reduced by 50%.
02:54With this initiative, we have several initiatives.
02:57The first one is short-term.
02:59If the elephants have damaged the plantations or have been active in the village area for too long,
03:08we will take action to relocate them.
03:11That is a short-term action.
03:13Or we will conduct surveillance and release the elephants so that we can remove them from the area.
03:20That is a short-term action.
03:22In the medium term, as I mentioned earlier, we will build a fence in this area.
03:27We will also make sure of several areas for the food banks.
03:31Thirdly, we will use satellite callers for the elephants so that we can make sure of their routes.
03:38Secondly, we will have an early warning system.
03:43So that when the elephants are close to houses or villages,
03:48we can inform the locals to be careful because there are wild animals that are close to them.
03:55That is a short-term action.
03:57In the long term, we have to make sure of the location.
04:00We will start a project to have food plantations for the wild animals, especially the elephants,
04:07so that they cannot escape from the forest or the edge of the forest.
04:12It will be easier for them to get their food.
04:15When will the fence and food plantations start?
04:20This year, we have completed all the documentation and the approval.
04:24MMK has also approved the project.
04:26There is also a little bit of tree planting because of the construction of the electric fence.
04:33MMK has approved it.
04:34Therefore, it is now in the JPS level.
04:37They have formed the fence.
04:39Hopefully, we will start the project next year.
04:42For JPS, the first phase has been completed as we can see now.
04:48The second phase will start in the future.
04:50We will have a walkway, a pond, and a fence.
04:59So that this place is not only a place for the elephants' rescue center, but also a tourist center.
05:06Hopefully, after it is completed in 2026, it will be a tourist attraction for tourists
05:14who want to come here to meet the elephants.
05:20Is there a case of food bank that has reduced the number of elephants in Indonesia?
05:27It is a starting project.
05:29JPS is also the first place to have a food bank.
05:33According to the information received, this year alone,
05:38several groups of elephants have come here to get their food.
05:42If the elephants come here, they will stop here for two or three weeks.
05:46This means that they have reduced the possibility of entering the rural areas
05:51or agricultural areas to get their food.
05:54In Johor, how many elephants are there?
05:57According to our data, this is between 120 and 160.
06:02It is divided into five groups.
06:04The PDT said earlier that they are working with the MPOB.
06:08Is this something that is considered by the government?
06:12It is very much considered.
06:14This is a long-term plan so that the fields that are close to the forest
06:21can reserve a part of the space for the elephants to plant food.
06:28We will take this initiative together with the PDT and MPOB
06:34and will meet with these fields so that they can reserve a part of the space
06:40for the elephants to plant food.
06:42With this initiative, we hope that the conflict between humans and elephants
06:47can be reduced.
06:49In Johor this year, it has happened twice.
06:52One is in Kahang and the other is in Mersing.
06:56Hopefully, we can reduce this conflict
06:59so that the wild elephants can return to their area,
07:05which is in the forest.