Heartbreaking Death of Baby Elephant Sparks Call for Safer Highways for Endangered Wildlife

Malaysia is not only known for its rich culture and food — it’s also home to some of the most incredible wildlife in the world. Among them is the Borneo pygmy elephant, the smallest subspecies of elephant globally, known for its baby-like faces, oversized ears, and gentle nature. Sadly, these rare creatures are also critically endangered, with only around 1,500 left in the wild, making every life lost a devastating blow to the species’ survival.

Over Mother’s Day weekend, the nation was shaken by a heartbreaking incident involving a baby elephant that was killed in a road accident along the East-West Highway. The scene that followed was even more devastating — a viral video showed the baby’s mother standing vigil over her calf’s lifeless body, refusing to move. 

Photo via South China Morning Post

Even after the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN) sedated and relocated her, the grieving mother reportedly returned to the exact spot where the tragedy occurred and lingered there.

The emotional image has triggered a wave of public outcry, reigniting calls for stronger wildlife protection laws, especially measures that prevent such tragedies from repeating on Malaysia’s roads.

According to WWF-Malaysia, this marks the third reported elephant roadkill incident in 2025 alone. The organisation is now urgently calling on the government to take action, not just with long-term conservation projects, but immediate on-the-ground steps to safeguard animals crossing highways.

Their recommendations include:

• Installing speed bumps at known wildlife crossings to slow down vehicles

• Constructing more wildlife crossings like underpasses and viaducts

• Enforcing stricter speed limits, particularly at night when elephants are more active

While Malaysia has taken commendable steps — such as building a RM26 million wildlife viaduct at KM157 of the Gerik-Jeli Highway and launching public awareness campaigns, experts say much more needs to be done. That one viaduct, for instance, spans a 100-kilometre highway that cuts through Royal Belum State Park and Temengor Forest Reserve — two of the most biodiverse ecosystems in Southeast Asia.

These forests are home not just to elephants, but to endangered species like the Malayan tiger and tapir. To them, a highway isn’t a danger, it’s simply part of their natural range. Yet as forests shrink due to agriculture and infrastructure development, animals are forced to roam closer to human spaces, leading to an increase in dangerous encounters.

Malaysia remains one of the last few countries where wild elephants still roam freely. But with that privilege comes a responsibility, to protect them, to make room for them, and to ensure that their natural paths are not death traps.

So, the next time you're driving through our beautiful forest highways in Belum, Temengor, or Gua Musang, remember: the road doesn’t just belong to us — it belongs to them too.