Malaysian lorry driver shares anguish over baby elephant’s death: ‘my heart aches’
Veteran driver Azhar describes his ongoing torment and guilt after his truck fatally struck a baby elephant on a dark Malaysian highway
“It weighs heavily on me. Each time I pass by the road, my heart aches,” said the driver, who wished to be identified only as Azhar.
Azhar was behind the wheel in the early hours of May 11, travelling along the East–West Highway in Perak when the fatal accident occurred.
The male calf was pinned beneath the lorry. In a heart-wrenching scene that left many Malaysians in tears, the calf’s mother repeatedly charged the lorry in a desperate attempt to free her young, then stood vigil beside the vehicle for nearly five hours.
“When I think about the baby elephant, I feel really sad. I will not forget the moment,” he said, recounting his experience that night.
A seasoned driver from Kedah, Azhar has transported chickens from Penang to a slaughterhouse in Kota Baru for the past two years, using the same forest-lined route almost daily. His days typically begin at 4.30pm, when he collects poultry from farms, before setting off on the long overnight drive by 8pm.