What looked like a close call between a motorcyclist and an elephant on a Malaysian highway has sent netizens into a frenzy, after a short TikTok clip made it seem like an elephant was reaching out to grab a rider’s helmet.
A viral TikTok video showing an elephant stretching its trunk towards a motorcyclist on a highway has left Malaysians both alarmed and amused.
The clip, shared by TikTok user @ridzaham14, appears to show a lorry transporting an elephant along PLUS Highway near the Pendang interchange.
Speaking to WeirdKaya, Ridzaham said the elephant was under the supervision of the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) and was being transported by lorry to an event.
In the video, a motorcyclist can be seen overtaking the lorry from the left. As he passes by, the elephant stretches out its trunk, creating the illusion that it is attempting to reach for the rider’s helmet and nearly making contact.
Stay strong, the rider beside it,” he wrote.
@ridzaham14 Bertabah la rider sebelah tu 😮💨, #gajah #perhilitan #fypシ゚viral #tiktok #tamatlasudahalkisahkami ♬ ADA GAJAH DIBALIK BATU – Wali
Clip racks up millions of views, sparks concern
The short video quickly caught the attention of netizens, amassing 7.9 million views, 308K likes, 11,200 saves, and 2,500 comments at the time of writing.
Many viewers believed the rider had been hit by the elephant or had narrowly avoided losing his helmet.
Some imagined how surreal the incident must have been, with one netizen joking that the rider would probably go home and tell his wife, “Just now on the way back, there was an elephant trying to suck my helmet.”
Others took a lighter approach by joking from the elephant’s perspective, quipping, “Wooo I can touch”.
Some imagined a traffic police officer later stopping the rider and asking, “Where’s your helmet?”
Rider was not hit
The confusion was later cleared up after the TikToker posted a follow-up video addressing what really happened.
According to him, the elephant never actually touched the motorcyclist. He explained that the rider ahead managed to avoid the situation in time and sped off safely.
He stated that the rider ahead managed to dodge it and sped off in the caption.
@ridzaham14 Part 2 rider on top sempat mengelak, cabutt 🏍️💨💨💨💨💨 #fypシ゚viral #fypシ゚viral #gajah #perhilitan #part2 @akulilin🇲🇾❤️🇵🇸 ♬ original sound – ℝ𝕀𝔻ℤ𝔸ℍ𝔸𝕄 ⁴⁷⁷⁶
While the clip initially looked alarming, the follow-up clarification confirmed that no one was injured.
**Special thanks to Ridzaham for sharing the story and video.
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