Wild Elephants Broke a Man’s Legs in a Sudden Attack. Then, They Returned Later the Same Night and Killed Him By Toria Sheffield

A man was killed in a wild elephant attack while working at a logging site in Malaysia. 

Saidi Jahari, 43, was found dead by his coworkers the morning of Oct. 29 in the Gua Musang district in the northern part of the country, per local news outlets Malay Mail, Free Malaysia Today and The Vibes.

Sik Choon Foo, superintendent of the District Police, said the attack occurred in two parts, per the outlets. 

Saidi, who was the site supervisor, and five coworkers were sleeping in tents when they heard and smelled elephants approaching the evening of Oct. 28, Sik said in a statement, according to The Vibes. The loggers ran into the woods for safety, but Saidi was unable to escape in time. 

The other workers returned several hours later and found Saidi injured with two broken legs.

“They brought the victim inside the communal house for temporary protection. However, not long after, a bull elephant, believed to be the herd leader, returned and attacked them again,” Sik said, per The Vibes.

The workers fled yet again and were forced to leave Saidi behind.

“After the area calmed, the group returned and found the victim was no longer there. Searches nearby discovered Saidi deceased on the exit path, with severe injuries consistent with being trampled by an elephant,” Sik said.

Authorities stated that the Department of Wildlife and National Parks was notified and they are currently working to find and contain the herd, per the outlet.

PEOPLE reached out to the Royal Malaysia Police and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks on Sunday, Nov. 2, but did not receive an immediate response. 

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While speaking to The Vibes, Saidi’s younger brother, Sulaiman Jahari, 32, recalled the last time he saw Saidi during a holiday celebration.

“I did not expect that it would be our final meeting. Usually, he was quiet and did not talk much about work, but during dinner he was cheerful and lively,” he said.

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Sulaiman additionally said that his brother had worked in the logging industry for about 30 years, though he had only worked at the site of the tragedy for about two weeks. 

“This area was newly opened for logging. During all his years of work, he had never spoken about encounters with wild animals,” he said.