#NSTviral: Rare moment caught on camera as crocodile attacks pygmy elephant

KINABATANGAN: Footage taken yesterday of a rare crocodile attack on an elephant has gone viral, leaving viewers stunned.

Equally stunned was Sufri Johny, who captured the footage of the attack on the pygmy elephant as it was crossing the Kinabatangan River yesterday.

The 29-year-old from Sandakan said he was with tour company guide Rizan Rex and a few foreign tourists when the incident occurred.

“The video is genuine; it was shot by me. This is the first time something like this has happened in my life,” said the company driver of five years, referring to the viral footage he captured of the pygmy elephant escaping the attack unharmed.

The 105-second, shared on the Borneo Travellers Group Facebook page, shows the elephant nearing the opposite riverbank when the reptile suddenly lunged from behind.

When asked whether there were signs of injury, Sufri said the elephant appeared unharmed but made loud noises as it reached the bank.

The caption for the video read: “This is one of the rarest moments I have ever witnessed during the day trip to Kinabatangan River — a truly remarkable experience worth sharing with everyone.

“It highlights why the Kinabatangan River in Sabah, Malaysia, is a destination that deserves to be visited.”

A comprehensive survey conducted by the Sabah Wildlife Department between 2017 and 2019 recorded 2,886 crocodiles across 10 major rivers in Sabah, with 1,386 found specifically in the Kinabatangan River.

Usually, apart from natural death, elephants in Sabah are killed for their ivory, poisoned due to human-wildlife conflict, or fatally injured by snares and traps set for other animals.

© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd

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