The tragedy, which unfolded early on Sunday morning on the East-West Highway, shows the mother elephant frantically circling a lorry loaded with chickens in a futile attempt to free her calf, which lay pinned beneath the vehicle.
The distressed elephant refused to leave her calf’s side from before dawn until after sunrise, despite efforts by bystanders to shoo her away. Wildlife department officials eventually tranquillised her to clear the highway, one of the main arteries connecting the east and west coasts of Peninsular Malaysia.
Malaysians and neighbouring Indonesians took to social media to express their grief, with many highlighting the poignancy of the tragedy occurring on Mother’s Day.
“On Mother’s Day, an elephant showed us what is a mother’s love,” wrote Mario Teega.
Others said they were too heartbroken to watch the circulating videos.
