Bull Elephant Versus Train Ends in 0-0 Draw
This grand old picture dates from 1894 when a bull elephant gallantly refused to move off the rail tracks, close to Teluk Anson (now Teluk Intan) in defence of his herd against what he saw as an intruder into his domain. Unfortunately the train, which had previously killed a calf elephant in the same place, was doing some 80 kilometres per hour and the driver could not stop in time. The two therefore met head on.
The net result was one dead elephant, three coaches derailed and two dead railway workers who died from their injuries sometime later. A number of businesspeople and other passengers were also injured.
This event is marked by a signboard at the spot of the collision, erected by the British Government.
Poor elephant, all he was doing was what he saw was right. And then someone seems to want to walk all over his dead body! Where is the respect? What happened to his body?
Everybody wanted a piece of the heroic elephant.If I am not mistaken the skull is displayed at the taiping museum and its tusks in the national museum, kuala lumpur.
A concrete plaque to commemorate the incident still stands. Check this out.
thanks for the additional info, Cheah! didn’t know about the commemorative plaque.
Now if only all our politicians were like that, protecting us instead of running away!
maybe you could tell them, Warmonger…. “dear YB…”
bro cheah could you plez upload the concrete plaque tq..
Hi Zul. we’ll try to put up the plaque on Wednesday.
yap..thanks guys for the upload plaque..must go n visit it one day…
Now I have another photo of this – a close-up photo of this elephant with a pair of very long tasks.
hi Anthony. if you’d like to share the picture with us, do send it to info@ipohworld.org (600dpi scan, if possible)