Video: Elephant’s agony goes viral after calf killed in road accident on Mother’s Day

On Mother's Day, a heartbreaking incident unfolded along Malaysia's East-West Highway when a baby elephant was killed after being struck by a livestock truck in the early hours of the morning.

According to The Star, the tragedy occurred near Jalan Gerik-Jeli in Perak’s Gerik district and has sparked widespread public grief after videos of the grieving mother elephant went viral online.

As reported by local media, the baby elephant was hit while attempting to cross the dimly lit road and became trapped beneath the heavy vehicle. Moments later, its frantic mother emerged from the roadside forest and desperately tried to push the truck, apparently in an attempt to rescue her calf.

Footage captured by stranded motorists shows the mother lingering near the vehicle, refusing to leave her baby’s side. In one clip, a witness can be heard saying the elephant tried to nudge the truck with her body, unintentionally causing more harm to her already injured calf.

The emotionally charged standoff brought traffic to a standstill for hours as villagers and motorists gathered, many moved to tears by the mother’s visible distress.

According to The Straits Times, citing local outlet Sinar Harian, Gerik district police chief Superintendent Zulkifli Mahmood said a 28-year-old lorry driver had initially spotted a large elephant grazing on the right side of the road and believed it was safe to proceed.

“However, moments later, a baby elephant suddenly emerged from the forest on the left side and attempted to cross the road,” Supt Zulkifli said. “The short distance made it impossible for the driver to stop in time, resulting in a fatal collision. The baby elephant died at the scene.”

Though the driver was unharmed, the mother elephant, in a state of grief and rage, damaged the front of the lorry, he added.

The viral footage triggered an outpouring of grief on social media. “How sad it is for the mother – waiting for her child, but it’s not coming out,” one netizen wrote.

Another added, “It’s as though the mother elephant is hoping her child is still alive… and this happened on Mother’s Day.”

The East-West Highway, which cuts through forested areas in northern Peninsular Malaysia, is known for frequent wildlife-related accidents.

Conservationists have long warned that the shrinking habitat of the endangered Asian elephant is forcing them into increasing contact with humans.

Authorities have urged motorists to use the road between 11am and 4pm, when elephants are less likely to be active, The Straits Times reported.

In November 2024, Malay Mail noted that the Perak Elephant Sanctuary is under construction near the highway to help reduce human-elephant conflict. The facility is expected to be completed by 2029.

This is not an isolated case. In January, a family reported that their vehicle was rocked by a passing herd of elephants. In April 2024, another baby elephant was killed on the same highway after being struck by a sport utility vehicle.