TAWAU: A farming settler lost about RM5,000 after his bananas and oil palm plantation at Felda Umas here were damaged by wild elephants.
Rusdan showing some pictures on the damaged banana trees and oil palm trees.
Rusdan Jamas, 50, said about 20 banana trees planted on a two-acre land, and 48 oil palm trees planted on a 16-acre land were completely destroyed by the wild elephants.
In addition to the crops the wild elephants also damaged the trees planted at his residential area.
He said the elephants had been causing problems for about three months and the issue was yet to be solved.
Rusdan, who is also the president of Felda Umas Umno Branch, expressed hope that Felda and related agencies would solve this issue immediately as it would not only bring huge losses to the farming settlers but threaten the safety of nearby residents.
“I have met the Felda management and village chief here but received a very disappointing response.
“We, farming settlers, have been told by Felda to seek alternative ways to earn more income but once we raised this issue, no action was taken until today.
“The installation of electronic fences did not function well to curb the wild elephants; these wild elephants should be caught and sent to the Wildlife Department,” Rusdan told the media yesterday.
Rusdan said it would be a waste to bring banana seeds from Kota Kinabalu, as the seeds he had planted for three months had been destroyed by the elephants.