Kota Bharu:Five areas in the Jeli district—Batu Melintang, Kampung Lawar, Lata Janggut, Sungai Rual, and Kampung Rual—have been identified as potential sites for establishing an elephant corridor and food bank.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Kelantan Lands and Mines Office has approved the use of land within the Sultan Ismail Petra Ecosystem Protection Park at Tasik Pergau for this purpose. A feasibility study for the elephant corridor was initiated in 2024 by Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) in collaboration with the Malaysian Palm Oil Green Conservation Foundation and the Kelantan Department of Wildlife and National Parks. UMK is seeking funding to implement the programme, which will commence once financial support is secured.

State Local Government, Housing, Health and Environment Committee chairman Hilmi Abdullah explained that the food bank concept involves cultivating suitable food sources, including Napier grass, within elephants' natural habitats and along their migratory routes. This approach aims to increase food availability and reduce elephants' ventures into agricultural areas and human settlements.

Hilmi noted a similar strategy under the Nenggiri Hydroelectric Project in Gua Musang, where Napier grass has been planted over 5.3 hectares, along with the installation of six artificial salt licks to enhance the elephants' habitat. These initiatives align with the National Elephant Conservation Action Plan 2023 to 2030, focusing on preserving and conserving elephant corridors and habitats.