KUALA BERANG: Wildlife officers took almost five hours to relocate a male elephant that had been roaming around Kampung Basung here.

       Terengganu Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director Dr Abdul Malek Mohd Yusof said the elephant, weighing 2.5 tonnes, was captured at 3pm on Monday after being subdued with tranquiliser darts.

       He added two elephants from the Elephant Conservation Centre in Sungai Deka, Hulu Terengganu were brought in to “persuade” the 15-year-old elephant to leave the area yesterday.

       “The captured animal will be released in a safe location in the jungle,” he told reporters when met after the relocation exercise.

       He said the department had acted after receiving complaints from villagers that a herd of wild elephants had been roaming nearby. The villagers had also said the herd also damaged their crops.

       “We will keep monitoring the herd’s movements and act when necessary,” he added. — Bernama