A mother elephant had her heart broken on Mother’s Day when a truck struck a five-year-old male calf on the Gerik-Jeli Highway in Malaysia. In a most emotionally devastating scene, witnesses described how the mother elephant stayed by her calf’s side for five hours refusing to leave.
According to the Strait Times, authorities had to sedate the mother in order to move her safely away from the highway.
The next day, a witness claimed he saw the mother elephant “still searching for her baby who died yesterday morning.”
Here’s the brief video clip on TikTok by user @WafiyZulkhairi, who claimed the elephant was the same one whose calf died after being struck by a truck yesterday morning.
“It is heartbreaking. A mother’s instinct never fades. She is still waiting, even though her baby won’t return.”
“”The mother has returned to the forest. We hope she has rejoined her herd. The calf’s carcass has been buried.”
The Perak Wildlife and National Park Department could not confirm if the elephant in the video on the road was the same elephant who lost her baby. Female elephants rarely travel alone, and it is likely she returned to her herd.
Many readers and viewers expressed their sorrow. Elephant calves typically stay with their mothers for a significant period of their lives – around 16 years. Female calves remain with the mother and the herd for life, while male calves eventually leave to join bachelor herds. They are highly social animals, and the herd plays a crucial role in caring for the young.
Our hearts go out to the mother elephant. Although there have been no details about the vehicular accident, it is up to humans to be on the lookout for wildlife. Rest in peace little guy.
(Photos via TikTok and screenshots from collected videos)
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