KUALA LUMPUR, May 30 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Palm Oil Green Conservation Foundation (MPOGCF) introduced the Wildlife Interaction Management Model, which integrates smallholder communities and palm oil plantation companies to achieve coexistence with wild elephants.
In a statement today, MPOGCF announced that the management model, a first of its kind in Peninsular Malaysia, was established as a result of the collaboration between MPOGCF and Earthworm Foundation (EF) through the pilot project Achieving Coexistence with Elephants in Sungai Ara, Kota Tinggi in Johor, implemented over an area of 8,400 hectares.
“This project also involves the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) which aims to ensure the survival of wild elephants without compromising the safety and income sources of smallholders in the affected areas," according to the statement.
Throughout the implementation of the project, 412 individuals from the Kampung Sungai Ara community, FELCRA (Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority) as well as representatives of government agencies and plantation companies participated in various capacity-building workshops focusing on managing human-wildlife interactions, the use of drone technology and best mitigation practices.
"Among the main achievements is the installation of 10 Early Warning System (EWS) units in the Sungai Ara Plantation Cooperative (KPSA) and FELCRA plantation areas, which help the community detect the presence of elephants earlier.
“Additionally, period patrols supported by drone technology are also implemented and two youths from Sungai Ara who are also oil palm smallholders, have been certified as drone pilots by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM)," said the statement.
To ensure the effectiveness and direction of management in a more systematic and coordinated manner, the Human-Elephant Coexistence Committee (HEC) and Terms of Reference (ToR) were established during the committee's first meeting in November 2023, which successfully drafted and approved the flowchart for managing human-elephant interactions.
MPOGCF general manager Hairulazim Mahmud said the initiative proves that coexisting with wildlife such as elephants can be effectively managed with the active involvement of smallholders and various stakeholders.
"This project not only helps enhance the community's ability to interact harmoniously with the presence of wild elephants but also provides awareness and new skills to smallholder communities.
"Looking at the success in Sungai Ara, MPOGCF intends to expand this project model to other areas in Peninsular Malaysia that also face the presence of elephants to ensure a balance between plantation activities and biodiversity conservation can be achieved," he said in the same statement.
Hairulazim said that MPOGCF is also committed to continuing support for high-impact conservation initiatives, especially those that directly benefit the smallholder palm oil community in the country.
According to the statement, efforts to increase capacity need to be continued gradually from time to time, in line with the behaviour of wild elephants, which is always dynamic and can change according to the environment.
MPOGCF said the initiative can also help reduce the risk of adverse events, including injury or loss of life incidents, as well as prevent property damage and ensure the safety and survival of elephants are preserved in the oil palm plantation landscape.
-- BERNAMA
