Elephant Herd Tramples Car After Hitting One of Their Calf in Malaysia

An elephant herd trampled a car along a major highway in Malaysia after it struck one of their babies, according to local reports earlier this week. The herd of wild elephants targeted the vehicle's 48-year-old driver, along with his wife and son, during the incident that occurred over the weekend. Before the incident, Malaysian authorities warned the public to take precautions when driving along highways due to the risk of elephant herd attacks.

Elephants have long been considered by many as the "gentle giants" of the Animal Kingdom. However, this attribution does not entail that the large-tusked mammals are not capable of violence, since after all, they are still wild animals, according to wildlife experts. In recent years, similar attacks have been recorded not only in Malaysia but also in other countries across Asia, especially in India. These incidents involved elephants going on a rampage either due to being provoked or not.

Malaysia Elephant Herd Attack

(Photo : Photo by Mylon Ollila on Unsplash)

Local authorities on Monday, November 27, reported that the wild elephant herd attack on the car happened while it was traveling the major highway from the island of Penang to the northeastern coastal state of Terengganu on Sunday, November 26. At around 7:35 p.m. local time that day, the family of three struck an elephant calf, which triggered the elephant herd to take a seemingly act of revenge or protective response.

A statement by the Gerik District Police's chief superintendent, Zulkifli Mahmood, said that the family in the vehicle was unharmed after being struck by the herd of six enraged wild elephants at Km 55 of the East-West Highway on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Perodua Axia car received the blow of the animal attack, resulting in significant damage.

The local police explained that the driver accidentally knocked over the baby elephant, which fell to the ground upon collision. The incident was seen by the elephant herd which rushed to trample the passing car. The herd went away after the calf got back to its feet. Mahmood said the incident occurred during a misty weather condition.

Also Read: Elephant Tramples to Death College Student at Indian Village

Violent Elephant Behavior

Elephants are known for being intelligent and social animals, able to interact with one another and even with people. Yet, these gentle giants can also show their other side of being aggressive, territorial, and protective of their kin.

Related encounters between elephants and humans before also involved unexplained behavior shown by the wild animals. Earlier this year, a fatal elephant attack occurred in Gua Musang in Kelantan, Malaysia, involving a security guard who was trampled by the beast.

Also, earlier this year, an elephant in India trampled to death a college student after the victim's group was chasing an elephant herd. In 2022, an elephant trampled a woman to death in India for unknown reasons. The elephant came back a few hours later to trample and toss the victim's corpse during her funeral.

Related Article: Elephant Tramples Woman to Death, Comes Back After Few Hours to Crush Body at Her Funeral