Setiu district police chief Afandi Husin said the driver, Sharul Azma Che Samaon, 42, a company manager, escaped unhurt.

However, his Porsche Cayenne’s windscreen, bumpers and lights were damaged in the incident. Other parts of the body were also dented.

He said police received a call regarding the incident at 10.15pm.

“Preliminary investigations found the accident was believed to have occurred while the victim was travelling from Rhu 10 to Lembah Bidong.

“When he arrived at Km45, Kampung Kolam, which is along the Jalan Kuala Terengganu-Kampung Raja route, the driver did not have time to avoid the elephant, which was on the road,” he said, in a statement.

Afandi said the elephant, which was seen roaming in the area since 6.30pm yesterday, was reported to have been injured in the leg. It fell at the scene before fleeing into the nearby forest 10 minutes later.

The Besut branch of the wildlife and national parks department (Perhilitan) tracked down the animal and caught it about 1pm today.

Afandi said the female elephant was caught near an oil palm plantation at Telaga Papan, Setiu, about 20km from the accident site.

“The elephant will be relocated either in Gerik, Perak, or Hulu Terengganu, away from human settlements,” he said.

Meanwhile, the state’s agriculture, agro-based industry and rural development committee chairman, Azman Ibrahim, in a Facebook post, said the elephant had been under the observation of state Perhilitan for the past few days, because it was found wandering around Setiu.