Mersing: The process of bringing home three elephants, Dara, Amoi, and Kelat, from Tennoji Zoo in Osaka, Japan, cannot be rushed as it involves several procedures that must be followed, said Deputy Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh. He emphasized that the welfare and safety of the animals must be prioritised to prevent any untoward incidents.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Syed Ibrahim stated, "It's not a case of deciding today and bringing them back tomorrow. There is also an existing agreement between Zoo Taiping and Night Safari (ZTNS) and Tennoji Zoo." He further mentioned that careful consideration and assessment are required, and he could not specify when the elephants might be brought home as he did not have the details. This statement was made during the launch of the Biodiversity Exploration Programme within the Central Forest Spine (CFS) ecological network at Lenggor Forest Reserve and Mersing Forest Reserve, held at Mersing Polytechnic.
The ministry has entrusted ZTNS and the Taiping Municipal Council with handling matters related to the elephants, including any necessary follow-up action. Previously, Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup emphasized that proposals from various parties, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs), to bring the elephants home should be given serious consideration. The three elephants were initially transferred to Tennoji Zoo under a conservation collaboration, a move that has recently raised public concern over their welfare.
Meanwhile, Syed Ibrahim highlighted the ongoing five-day exploration, which began yesterday, involving 120 participants. These participants include researchers from higher learning institutions, government agency officials, NGOs, and various experts. "The main objective of the exploration is to better understand forest functionality and connectivity, as well as ecological corridors, while supporting efforts to conserve habitats and manage biodiversity resources in a more integrated and sustainable manner," he said.