Lone elephant seen on M'sia highway, with many believing it to be the mother who lost her calf on Mother's Day

The mother of an elephant calf that died in a road accident on May 11 may still be searching for her young.

A TikTok video showing a lone elephant wandering along the Gerik-Jeli Highway has led many to believe it could be the grieving mother.

Previously, the mother was reported to have stayed by her calf’s side for five hours, refusing to leave. Authorities eventually had to sedate her to move her safely away from the scene.

According to The New Straits Times, the TikTok user who posted the video claimed he saw a mother elephant "still searching for her baby who died yesterday morning" while passing the highway on May 12.

"It is heartbreaking. A mother's instinct never fades. She is still waiting, even though her baby won't return," he wrote.

Many commenters expressed sorrow and sympathy for the elephant, calling the moment deeply emotional.

Elephant not confirmed to be same

However, Perak Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director Yusoff Shariff told NST that the elephant in the video could not be confirmed as the same one from the earlier incident.

He explained that female elephants rarely travel alone and are usually found within a herd.

“Those seen alone are often males.,” he said.

They believe the grieving mother has since returned to the forest and rejoined her herd to search for food.

Still, Yusoff did not rule out the possibility that the mother may return to the accident site in a month or two.

Top photos from WafiyZulkhairi/TikTok and SYS Smart Legacy/Facebook