A driver narrowly escaped a potentially fatal encounter with a wild elephant while travelling along a stretch of road in Jeli, Kelantan, near Banding Lake.
The tense moment, which unfolded along the Jalan Bukit Bandi area, was captured on video and has since gone viral online.
Elephant charges toward car
According to footage shared on social media by a netizen named Aimi Nawi, the elephant suddenly emerged from the roadside and began charging towards the vehicle.
Faced with the imminent danger, the driver quickly reversed to create distance and avoid a head-on collision.
The incident reportedly occurred on a narrow road near Jeli, close to Banding Lake, where one side of the road borders a deep ravine. Any wrong move, netizens noted, could have led to disastrous consequences.
In the video, a four-wheel-drive vehicle travelling behind was also seen confronting the same elephant.
The vehicle appeared to reverse in an S-shaped manner, seemingly in panic, before eventually accelerating forward to pass the elephant and leave the area, adding to the intensity of the situation.
First encounter with an elephant in this area
Aimi Nawi shared that although she has travelled along the East-West Highway for more than 30 years and has encountered elephants before, this was her first time coming face to face with one at such close range.
She added that the location was also an area where she had never previously seen elephants.
At first, the elephant appeared to be heading back into the forest, and we were relieved. But just minutes later, it suddenly turned back and charged straight towards us,” she said.
“There was no choice but to keep reversing, even though one side of the road drops into a deep ravine.”
Netizens’ reaction
Following the video’s circulation, many netizens expressed how nerve-wracking the footage was, while others said the outcome could have been far worse if there had been a long queue of vehicles behind.
“That Hilux reversed without really knowing which direction to go.”
“Sis, I encountered the same elephant about 2 hours earlier, right in front of the car 🥺🥺. Luckily my husband was quick, I almost lost my life because I was so shocked 😂.”
“I go back and forth between SP and Terengganu every year. Alhamdulillah, I’ve never encountered an elephant.”
Watch the full video here:
