Kluang's KPHL Set To Be Benchmark To Address Elephant-Human Conflict Nationwide 

KLUANG, Oct 30 (Bernama) -- The establishment of the Wildlife Protection Community (KPHL) in Kluang, aimed at addressing elephant-human conflicts, will be used as a benchmark and expanded nationwide if proven effective.

Johor State Health and Environment Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said the KPHL involves 15 settlements frequently affected by such conflicts in the district, with each location comprising at least 10 community members.

He said that as this is the first KPHL initiative in the country, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan), both at the federal and state levels, will use it as a model to assess its implementation effectiveness.

“Johor, particularly the Kluang district, has long faced high levels of elephant-human conflict, with 52 cases recorded so far this year. The idea to involve local residents in tackling the issue has been agreed upon at the federal level, and they will regard this as a pilot project.

“Support from the federal Perhilitan includes providing several tools to repel or scare elephants entering residential areas, such as gas cannons and other related equipment,” he told reporters after officiating the launch of the district-level KPHL here today.

Ling added that the state-level Perhilitan will conduct special courses for the KPHL community to ensure members receive adequate training, particularly when dealing with wild elephants.

He said four districts in Johor are considered high-risk areas for elephant-human conflict besides Kluang, namely Kota Tinggi, Mersing and Segamat.

“By the end of this year, we will assess the effectiveness of the KPHL in Kluang, and we also plan to establish similar initiatives in Kota Tinggi and other districts, including isolated cases in Batu Pahat and Kulai,” he said.

He added that other efforts to reduce such conflicts include elephant translocation, while long-term plans involve creating food banks for elephants, with 21 locations identified for this purpose.

Ling said that since there is currently only one special team in Johor handling elephant-related issues, cooperation with Perhilitan offices in other states and at the federal level will continue from time to time.

-- BERNAMA