Elephants take revenge on motorist’s car

KOTA TINGGI: It is said that elephants never forget. Felda worker Mohd Khairul Abdul Karim, 33, found out about this the hard way.

At about 10.30 pm on Tuesday, he drove his Toyota Avanza mini MPV into a herd of elephants at Batu 8 of Jalan Mawai here while returning home to Taman Sedili after some business in Johor Bahru, hitting a leg of one of the elephants.

He had not noticed the animals, three or four of them, on the road as he was driving with his low lights on and the road was dark.

He injured his lips, eyelids and left cheek, which needed 20 stitches at the hospital later.

After he knocked the elephant, Mohd Khairul alighted from the vehicle and in a state of panic and ran into the jungle for fear of being attacked by the herd, but the elephants also disappeared into the jungle.

A married couple who had come along in a Perodua Viva car helped to call an ambulance, he said.

“While waiting for the ambulance, the herd of elephants returned and stamped my vehicle until the front portion was wrecked and then returned to the jungle,” he said.

Mohd Khairul said he was grateful that he was able to save himself from the elephants.

Kota Tinggi District Police chief Supt Ahsmon Bajah, when contacted, confirmed having received a report on the incident.