Malaysia: Pygmy elephant shot in Sabah took up to four days to die, says state Wildlife Department

muguntan vanar The Star 18 Aug 14


The pygmy elephant found dead on a road leading to Felda Umas inTawau.

KOTA KINABALU: Wildlife rangers are seeking police assistance to identify a bullet shell recovered from a pygmy elephant that died along on road leading to the Felda Umas Oil Plantation about 70km from Tawau.

Sabah Wildlife Department assistant director Dr Sen Nathan said that the elephant, which died of a gunshot wound, suffered for two to four days before it finally died.

"Our Wildlife Rescue Unit's Veterinary team conducted a post-mortem on the carcass, and found a small wound on the abdominal area. Lodged in the left lung was a bullet or maybe even a slug from a shotgun cartridge," he said.

He said that the projectile entered the abdominal area and penetrated the intestines, causing serious internal bleeding before finally hitting the lung.

"It was sad this elephant probably suffered for days succumbing to its injuries," Dr Sen said, adding that the male elephant was about 18-25 years old.

Tawau Wildlife Department officer Soffian Abu Bakar said the pygmy elephant was a protected species and urged the public to come forward with any information on the shooting as it amounted an offence.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu said that the elephant was among a few in the area earmarked for translocation to a forest reserve.

"The elephants in Felda Umas have been an ongoing issue. We have, to date, translocated more than 15 elephants from this area.

"The elephant was one of the few still remaining in the vicinity of the plantation, awaiting translocation," he said.

Rangers seek police help to probe shooting of pygmy elephant
muguntan vanar The Star 19 Aug 14;

KOTA KINABALU: Wildlife rangers have sought the help of police to investigate the shooting of a male pygmy elephant near the Felda Umas oil palm plantation.

Sabah Wildlife Department assistant director Dr Sen Nathan said the elephant had suffered for two to four days before it died in the area, about 70km from Tawau.

He said a post-mortem conducted by the wildlife rescue unit’s veterinary team found that the elephant had a small wound in the abdominal area and a shotgun pellet lodged in the left lung.

He said the shot entered the abdominal area and penetrated the intestines, causing serious internal bleeding before being lodged in the lung.

“It was quite sad as this elephant did not die straightaway and probably suffered for several days,” Dr Sen said, adding that the elephant was 18 to 25 years old.

Tawau Wildlife Department officer Soffian Abu Bakar urged those with information to come forward as it was an offence to kill the protected pygmy elephant.

State Wildlife Department director Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu said the elephant was among a few in the area identified by the department to be translocated to forest reserves.

“The elephants in Felda Umas have been an ongoing issue for the villagers. We have so far transferred more than 15 elephants from this area.

“The elephant that was killed was one of the few still remaining in the vicinity of the plantation that were awaiting translocation,” he said.

Dr Ambu said a similar problem occurred in the Telupid district.

“Recently, a group of about 25 elephants made their way to almost a kilometre from Telupid town.

“We have already translocated eight elephants and are moving the others.

“Even areas like Pensiangan and Sapult, which have never seen the presence of elephants, are now facing a serious elephant-human conflict,” he said.

Dr Ambu said translocation was expensive to carry out.

“It can cost up to RM30,000 to transfer one elephant. And in some cases, just a few weeks after a group of elephants was translocated, they end up going into other human populated areas, causing problems there,” he said.

Elephant found dead in Tawau
New Straits Times 19 Aug 14;

KOTA KINABALU: A bull elephant was found killed in the Felda Umas Oil Palm Plantation near Tawau, from a gunshot wound.

Its carcass was discovered on Friday by the plantation manager, who alerted the district’s Wildlife Department.

Department assistant director Dr Sen Nathan said an autopsy on the elephant, aged between 18 and 25 years old, confirmed that it had died from a gunshot.

“When we conducted the post- mortem, we found a bullet or maybe even a slug from a shotgun cartridge lodged in the left lung.”

Sen said the elephant probably suffered for two to four days before dying.

He said the Wildlife Department handed over the bullet to the police for examination and identification.

Department director Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu said human-elephant conflict in plantation areas, such as Felda Umas, was an ongoing issue.

“We have translocated more than 15 elephants from this area.

“The dead elephant that was killed was one of the few remaining in the vicinity of the plantation, awaiting translocation.”