Terengganu seeks enhanced LPT2 monitoring after elephant incident

The Terengganu state government is pushing for enhanced monitoring along the East Coast Expressway 2 (LPT2) to prevent dangerous encounters between vehicles and wildlife, particularly elephants. This initiative comes after a recent accident involving a herd of elephants on the highway, which endangered road users and the animals themselves.

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Both are lives. Elephants have lives and humans also have lives. What happened recently on LPT2 was an unexpected incident and we sympathize with those involved.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar stressed that the incident requires attention not only to human safety but also to the welfare and security of wildlife. He called for strengthened cooperation between the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan), relevant agencies, and the highway management to minimize the recurrence of such events.

"Patrols in areas identified as wildlife corridors should be improved, especially during the rainy season when animals may move out to find shelter or food sources," Samsuri stated. He emphasized the shared right to life for both elephants and humans, describing the recent LPT2 incident as unexpected.

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Patrols in areas identified as wildlife corridors should be improved, especially during the rainy season when animals may move out to find shelter or food sources.

Furthermore, the state government is considering the adoption of technology for early detection of wildlife movements as a long-term safety measure for highway users. Samsuri noted that the state has previously managed similar situations with elephants entering villages in Hulu Terengganu through collaboration between Perhilitan rangers and local residents, demonstrating the effectiveness of proactive measures.

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This cooperation is important so that we can detect the movement of elephants earlier and take action before they reach areas that could endanger humans.