Deforestation is the sad result of unregulated and unethical practices that have not only managed to put orangutans on a 10 year trip towards extinction but now have pushed a horde of local elephants out of their home.
In a tweet by 999 Malaysia (@999Malaysia), a large group of elephants can be seen marching in a row through a wasteland of what used to be a lush forestation that could have very well have been their only refuge.
Kerana sifat tamak dan pentingkan diri sendiri… habis musnah habitat haiwan liar… ??? pic.twitter.com/0uG3g3N2My
— 999 Malaysia ?? (@999Malaysia) May 17, 2019
With a caption pointing out that the animals’ habitat was destroyed due to greed and self-centredness, the posting also explains that the elephants are probably trying to move to less explored wildernesses that have yet to be cut down by loggers and local leaders. This incident is believed to have happened in Perak.
Since then, locals have not only shared the posting over 6,000 times but also have tried to call out for the attention of Malaysia’s Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change, Yeo Bee Yin and others, including PERHILITAN and even Maya Karin in hopes that the people with power can do something to help the elephants.
One person even pointed out that this is one of the reasons as to why we need Thanos.
Source: Twitter
Sadly, Malaysia ranked at the top of a very sordid list for deforestation level back in 2012, with a wide 4.8% difference compared to the other countries on the list, and it’s safe to say that wild animals finding their way into villages and townships are very much our own fault at this point.
Source: Mongabay
The human-elephant conflict is the second highest animal to human conflict in Peninsular Malaysia, causing an estimated loss of RM27 million from 2007 to 2015 due to damaged crops as reported by PERHILITAN, though elephants would not have to wander so close to farm lands if they didn’t have the need to relocate due to deforestation.
At this point, we’re stuck in an ugly, ugly cycle that needs to be broken before it’s too late. What should the government do to tackle the problem of deforestation? Let us know in the comments.
Also read: Report: About 1,000 Elephants Left in M’sian Forests, Many Other Species On Verge of Extinction
