KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 -- The heart-wrenching image of a mother elephant desperately trying to rouse her lifeless calf after a highway collision has stirred the nation and the world.

The tragic scene shared widely on social media has reignited calls for wildlife corridors to be made a priority as development increasingly encroaches upon natural habitats.

Malaysia's roads are no strangers to such devastating encounters.

Just last year, a male sun bear was killed while attempting to cross the East Coast Expressway 2, while another was filmed writhing in pain on the same highway in a separate incident.

In March 2024, a video showing the bloated carcass of a clouded leopard next to the West Coast Expressway's divider also triggered public o...