Overview

• A Mother’s Day collision on Malaysia’s East-West Highway killed an elephant calf, with its grieving mother standing guard for hours, as captured in a viral video by AJ Pyro.
• The incident reignited public criticism over unfulfilled promises to safeguard wildlife from highway dangers in critical habitats like the Belum-Temenggor forest reserve.
• Malaysian authorities, led by Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, have vowed to expand wildlife sanctuaries, crossings, and corridors to prevent future tragedies.
• The East-West Highway, which cuts through vital habitats for elephants and critically endangered Malayan tigers, has seen eight elephant deaths in traffic collisions over five years, including three this year.
• Conservationists and the public are urging the government to take concrete, timely action to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts exacerbated by road infrastructure.