KUALA LUMPUR: Motorists traveling on the Jeli-Grik road in Kelantan experienced a moment of fright when they suddenly encountered a male elephant on the road.
The elephant, which seemed to be separated from its herd, was walking along the road and tried to approach any vehicle that drove past it.
Several clips of this animal encounter last Sunday have been shared on social media by a TikTok user, Wakrie, and have received more than 7,000 likes.
Initially, some drivers stopped their cars at a distance, but when the elephant continued walking towards them, they quickly made a U-turn and returned the way they came.
In the clip, allegedly recorded by a passenger in one of the cars, she appears to put up a brave front, asking the driver not to turn back. However, when she noticed the elephant walking in their direction, they made a U-turn.
In the second part of the clip posted in the comments section, the elephant was seen trying to attack a funeral hearse that drove past but was unsuccessful.
Sightings of elephant herds along the Jeli-Grik road are not unusual, but if an elephant is seen roaming alone without its herd, it tends to be aggressive.
The comment section of the clip garnered several reactions from social media users, including @William, who asked what the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) was doing to address issues involving elephant sightings in the country.
"If this were Thailand, the authorities would keep a close watch on the elephant," he wrote.
Another user said as long as we don't disturb the elephants, they will not harm us.
"If you scare them, they will retaliate."
Another social media user said authorities must make alternative arrangements for the animals to find food and roam freely when clearing reserve jungles or forcing elephants out of their original habitat.