Elephant attack victim placed on life support to help him recover

MERSING: A contract cleaner who was seriously injured after being attacked by an elephant in the bushes behind Sekolah Kebangsaan Tenggaroh 5 on Thursday (Sept 26) has been placed on life support and intubated.

Deputy Mersing District police chief, DSP Sharif Shai Sharif Mondoi, said the victim, Zalini Dahlan, 51, is receiving treatment at the Sultan Ismail Hospital in Johor Bahru.

“I was informed by his wife that Zalini has been put on life support (intubated) on the advice of doctors to allow him to recover.

“It is understood that he has a fractured hip bone, a broken rib, and an internal hemorrhage in the head. This is the information we have as of this afternoon,” he said briefly when contacted on Friday (Sept 27).

On Thursday, the media reported that Zalini was seriously injured while his colleague, Mohamad Syafik Yakob, 31, died after they were attacked by the elephant while trying to chase it away from approaching the school.

State Health and Environment Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said the Johor Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) will continue to monitor the Felda area, with operations to capture the animal already underway to ensure the safety of the residents. – Bernama