A herd of elephants, apparently angered by the sound of car horns, went on a rampage and smashed another car that was stopped nearby on a highway near Gerik, Malaysia.
The destroyed car had stopped and turned off its lights when the driver spotted the elephants crossing the road, but another driver behind him began impatiently blowing his horn, triggering the attack, which left front, back and both sides of the car damaged. The driver was able to flee without injury while the attack continued.
The attack may also be connected to an incident earlier in the month in which an elephant calf was struck and killed by a passing truck in the same area. A video of the mother elephant mourning the calf drew widespread sympathy. Malaysia’s natural resources minister said that over 66,000 human-wildlife conflicts were reported over the five years from 2020 to 2024.
