Kuala Lumpur: The Johor government will develop a warning system for the safety of residents in an effort to overcome human-elephant conflict. Johor State Health and Environment Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said the warning system would function through satellite collars fitted to elephants.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, it is estimated that there are five active elephant groups comprising 30 to 40 animals each in the districts of Kota Tinggi, Kluang, Mersing, and Labis, Segamat. “We have received allocations from the central government to install satellite collars on elephants to obtain data on the movement of these animals,” Ling said. The data collected will be used to share information through an early warning system so that villagers can be vigilant if there are elephants nearby.

Ling made these remarks at a press conference after officiating the Handover Ceremony of Medical and Non-Medical Asset Donations to three health clinics. He stated that this effort is among the medium-term initiatives to be implemented by the state government to address the human-elephant conflict.

Additionally, Ling mentioned that the provision of food banks would also be implemented in forest edge areas in collaboration with the plantation industry as a long-term measure to overcome the conflict. “We have identified 21 locations for food banks on the edge of the forest, to prevent elephants from entering people’s farms or gardens,” he explained.

He further noted that based on the proposal by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, the move to establish the food bank requires an area of at least one hectare.