Last weekend, as Malaysians made their way back to the bustling city after a week-long visit to their parents’ hometowns for Raya, an unexpected event unfolded along the journey.
What began as a typical experience of navigating through traffic congestion turned into a remarkable encounter with wildlife, leaving one family with a story to tell.
Unexpected elephant encounter on the road home
Abdul Jad Ayub, a TikTok user, captured the extraordinary moment and shared it online, sparking curiosity and amusement among viewers.
The footage, spanning 51 seconds, depicted an elephant casually strolling along the roadside amidst a sea of stationary vehicles at Gerik-Jeli Highway. For the family caught in the midst of this spectacle, it was a moment of both awe and apprehension.
As the elephant drew nearer to their car, anxiety mounted. The father’s quick directive for his children to maintain silence reflected a shared hope for a safe passage.
Close call: Elephant brushes against family’s vehicle
Yet, despite their efforts to remain inconspicuous, fate had a different plan. The gentle giant, while navigating through the congested road, inadvertently brushed against the family’s vehicle, leaving a mark of its presence.
After the initial shock wore off and they checked for injuries, the family felt relieved. No one was hurt, and although the car got a bit banged up, it could be fixed.
The caption on the video summed it up perfectly: “An elephant rammed into my car. Thank God everyone is safe. The car can be repaired.”
Netizens react to the elephant incident
The unfolding of events not only captured the attention of online audiences but also prompted discussions among netizens. Comments flooded in, offering various insights and interpretations of the unusual encounter.
Some speculated that the elephant’s heightened sensitivity to sound might have been triggered by the children’s voices, while others talked about how important it is to stay quiet around elephants, a piece of advice that’s been around for ages.
One wrote: “Because the kids were noisy in the car. That’s why the elephant could hear.”
Another commented: “You should be quiet, elephants are very sensitive.”
Another chimed in: “Elephants have sharp hearing. It’s advice from the elders: don’t say anything when facing an elephant.”
Watch the full clip here:
