Pian And Rambai The Elephants Steal The Show At Madani Rakyat Programme

KUANTAN, July 6 (Bernama) -- Pian and Rambai the elephants stole the show with their gigantic ears and docile personalities at the ongoing Eastern Zone MADANI Rakyat 2024 Programme here today.

Respectively aged 50 and 41, Pian and Rambai, which were brought from the Kuala Gandah National Elephant Conservation Centre, Lanchang, have been trained specifically to engage with people, giving them a chance to shine as Pahang's animal of pride.

The centre's head Che Ku Mohd Zamzuri Chik Wan Ab Rahman said 15 personnel from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) were assigned to ensure smooth human-elephant interactions during the programme.

He said not only did the visitors have the chance to interact with the female elephants, but they could also feed them, but only food prepared by Perhilitan so as to prevent the elephants from food poisoning.

“The public’s reception has been very encouraging. Most visitors come with their children, so Pian and Rambai do get a lot of petting and feeding,” he told Bernama.

Three-year-old Mikhail, for one, was obviously excited upon seeing the elephants.

“It’s his first time seeing the elephants live and up close. He usually only sees them in front of the screens or in animated form,” Mikhail’s father, accountant Huzairi Idris, 33, said.

Retiree Salmah Suhaimi, 66, said the elephant exhibition is a great initiative to educate people on wildlife and everything surrounding their way of life.

She opined that a free-for-all programme like this also encourages more people to come as the public would normally need to pay to see any wildlife, like elephants.

-- BERNAMA