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Sg Ketiar -Elephant Sanctuary in Tasik Kenyir 

By Alyna Tai 
Last week i posted some shots abt the Sanctuary in www.xmen4x4.com and today NST pg 26 "Elephant Sanctuary a jumbo hit". Take a look at the photos. We already have Kuala Ganda which takes many hard work and years to make it a success now Sg.Ketiar which got 15000 hectare of jungle in around Tasik Kenyir for the wild to roam. Why do we need these elephant to be trained like a circus for tourism. Sg Ketiar was make popular by RFC 2005 when we open the route. We have often passes by this sanctuary for the past 4 months but never did we ever stop. It was sickening to see them capture though. But out of curiosity we stop and to our surprise the elephant been chained on legs no wonder we always see it moving forward and backward only from the high way. According to the Ranger Enc Zulkifli that these are wild elephants and the trainer are new so they need to be chained. Do we let them roam or capture them to train them?. He also said the sanctuary did not get much support yet, so have to depend on tourist to feed them plus whatever resources they could get. A Elephant needs around 150kg-200kg of forage every day to meets its nutritional requirement. There are many wild elephants roaming happily in the jungle enjoying the plants of banana stem, diet of grass, palm shoots and wild ginger. In fact we have met those couple of time with some tourist which they were very happy that we still have wild in the jungle.

Do let them roam freely in the 15000 hectare let them FREE. I was in Tasik Kenyir fishing during the New Year and u could tell by the happy face of tourist with camera clicking away to see elephants at the bank. Why a Sanctuary now??? We can't see deer, we can't see many things as more poachers are hunting them down even Kelah a popular Mahseer fish that are popular among locals. Now “Geharu” a popular fragrant oil from tree that fetch thousand and thousand of ringgit. What is next??

I hope the Wild Life Ranger is better off to catch those poachers than come out with a Sanctuary unless the elephants are a danger to the inhabitants which there’s none there. No housing no plantation unless towards the Kelantan, Gua Musang. The people are happy to see wild life in the jungle than put them in cage or chained. Of course the children love to see the elephants but try notice the chain and shackle they used on the elephant, If break loose the people would be in danger too. Catch them unless they are nuisance or danger.

They are Born Free…..