Best of our wild blogs: 8 Aug 17

Wild celebrations with dolphins, sea turtle and dugong
wild shores of singapore

Road projects threaten Sumatra’s last great rainforests
mongabay.com

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Professor Leo Tan lauded as Asean Biodiversity Hero at inaugural awards

Audrey Tan Straits Times 7 Aug 17;

SINGAPORE - Professor Leo Tan is a known figure among nature conservationists in the Republic, but the marine biologist was on Monday (Aug 7) lauded at a regional level.

The 72-year-old was one of 10 people who were named Asean Biodiversity Heroes at an award ceremony in the Philippines.

The inaugural award aims to recognise individuals from the Asean region who have contributed to biodiversity conservation and advocacy efforts in their respective countries.

Prof Tan, who is director of special projects at the National University of Singapore's science faculty, was instrumental in several conservation initiatives in Singapore.

He had, for example, campaigned for the designation of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and Labrador Nature Reserve as protected areas. In 2002, both were declared nature reserves.

The septuagenarian, together with his former student, crab expert Peter Ng, had also played an important role in the setting up of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum - Singapore's first and only natural history museum, where Singaporeans can learn about creatures ranging from dinosaurs to dodos and komodo dragons.

For his efforts, Prof Tan was nominated for the award by Dr Lena Chan, group director for the National Biodiversity Centre at the National Parks Board (NParks).

NParks chief executive Kenneth Er congratulated Prof Tan on his win. He said: "(Prof Tan) has played important roles in conserving our natural heritage as a marine biologist, an educator as well as the former chairman of NParks.

"As chairman of the Garden City Fund, (he) continues to tirelessly bring together partners, including corporations, to complement government and community efforts to co-create a City in a Garden that is rich in biodiversity."

The Asean Biodiversity Heroes award ceremony was held in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Asean in Manila, the Philippines.

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Malaysia: Johan Setia peatfires cause of Klang, Shah Alam haze

MEI MEI CHU The Star 7 Aug 17;

SHAH ALAM: The seasonal haze from Sumatra has yet to hit Malaysian shores, but residents in Shah Alam and Klang are already suffering from thick smog engulfing their homes.

"The smog is so acrid that we can taste the sourness and bitterness in the air," said Kota Kemuning resident Lim Teck Wyn, 42.

The issue has plagued the community since the early 2000. Residents say open burning is a year-long problem that has worsened recently due to the dry season.

"It's most noticeable at night and goes off by morning (after the fire extinguishes) as if nothing happened," said J. Loh, a Kota Kemuning resident of 10 years.

The 43-year-old said they have to shut the windows and rely on air-conditioning, leading to an increase in electricity bills.

Similar views were shared by another resident, Karen Lee, who said her 13 and 15-year-old sons developed chronic bronchitis over the years due to the bad haze.

“The situation has improved compared to 2008 and 2014 after the Selangor government intervened, but we fear that it will worsen again if there are no proactive measures to contain the fires,” said the 45-year-old.

The source of the haze is the peat fires in Johan Setia, a residential area surrounded by peatland in Klang that is used for agriculture.

Plantation workers there are known to practice the slash-and-burn farming method where they set fire to the farms, bushes, and forest reserves to clear land for new crops like ginger and sweet potato.

During a site visit to Kampung Batu Tujuh near Kota Kemuning last week, The Star found pockets of smoke billowing from several spots in the ground across a farm off a main road.

Hectares of peatland had already been scorched with burnt wood and crops littered across the farm, a sign that the activity had been ongoing for some time.

A barrel containing petrol and a water jug were found next to a shed, believed to have been used to start the fire.

The burning took place directly behind a signboard of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry informing of the prohibition on open burning with a warning that offenders will face a RM500,000 fine, five years in jail or both.

Lim, who is an environmental consultant, says peat soil is highly-flammable as it is a dense accumulation of decomposed vegetation. Hence, peat fires can easily spread like wildfire.

He points out that the slash-and-burn practice in Johan Setia is similar to farming practices in Indonesia that caused the seasonal haze in Malaysia.

“How can we be mad and blame the Indonesians for the haze when we are doing the same in our own backyard,” Lim said.

According to the Selangor Fire and Rescue Department, 378 cases of open burning were reported in July, including bush fires, plantation fires, forest fires and rubbish fires.

Department assistant operations director Mohd Sani Hasrul warned that the embers in peat soil are dangerous fire hazards as the fire can quickly spread when they are carried by the wind.

“We have warned the public many times not to conduct open burning, especially in the forest reserve. However, the problem persists,” said Sani.

When contacted, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said that his Ministry is equally concerned of the issue as the haze affects Johan Setia, Klang, Jalan Kebun, KESAS Highway, Bandar Puteri, Bandar Putera and Kota Kemuning.

“This open burning always occurs during the dry season and is being carried out by immigrants who have been employed by the land owners,” said Wan Junaidi.

Wan Junaidi: Peatfires an economic issue
MEI MEI CHU The Star 7 Aug 17;

PETALING JAYA: It is difficult to stop open burning in the Johan Setia peatlands as the sites are deserted when enforcement officers arrive to investigate, said Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

The Natural Resources and Environment Minister said the officers would then have to identify the land owner before they can start the investigation and prosecution process.

“Frequently, fires are found to be raging in road reserve land which do not have any owners so no prosecution can be carried out,” he said.

Wan Junaidi said that the real cause of open burning in Johan Setia is an economic issue.

“The people here break the law because they are trying to survive (by making an income through farming),” he said.

From 2011 to 2017, 47 investigation papers were opened and 43 cases filed in court for open burning cases. The remaining four are currently under investigation.

A total of RM78,400 in compounds and penalties have been charged for the cases in the Johan Setia area.

On extinguishing the fires, Wan Junaidi said that the Fire Department faces a lack of water resources for the task.

"The Department of Environment has been looking into ways of obtaining groundwater through a study conducted by the Minerals and Geoscience Department,” he said.

He added that they will also implement the Peatland Fire Prevention programme by constructing five dams in Johan Setia to irrigate the areas and keep the peatland wet.

He added that the ministry also carries out the Open Burning Prevention Action plan by patrolling the area daily with a Pollution Monitoring Team.

The operations involved the Klang City Council, Department of Environment, police, Justice Department, Land Offices and Immigration Department.

Wan Junaidi hoped the construction of the proposed LRT 3 project from Johan Setia to Bandar Utama will spur development in the area and gradually stop the open burning.

However, he said that “not every single action is fruitful” and the issue of open burning at Johan Setia was recently tabled at a State Legislative Council meeting.

"The state government has committed to implementing the seizure of the land from owners who are repeat offenders and have been convicted of recurring open burning offences," he said.

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Malaysia: Marine police seize boat, arrest crew for illegal trawling near Sarikei

Goh Pei Pei New Straits Times 7 Aug 17;

KUCHING: Region 5 marine police seized a fishing boat and arrested its four crew members yesterday after they were caught trawling in a prohibited area, 0.5 nautical miles off Kuala Belawai, Sarikei.

Region 5 commander Assistant Commissioner Salehuddin Mat Zaman said a patrol unit spotted the boat, which was less than five kilometres from the shore, at about 6am.

“They are not supposed to use such a method in the area, which is very close to the shore.

"Hence, our team seized the boat and four locals, including the skipper. We escorted them back to Tanjung Manis for further investigation,” he said in a statement here today.

The boat, trawlers and 100kg of catch worth an estimated RM175,500 were seized.

"We believe the fishes were caught using the (trawler) method, and were confiscated,” he said.

The case is being investigated under Section 8 (b) of the Fisheries Act 1985.


18 Vietnamese detained for illegal fishing in Malaysian waters
ZAZALI MUSA The Star 8 Aug 17;

KOTA TINGGI: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has detained 18 Vietnamese fishermen on board two locally-registered vessels, for alleged illegal fishing activities.

The fishermen, aged between 18 and 56 years old, were detained for using pukat tunda gading (which are illegal trawling nets) about 43 nautical miles off Kuala Tanjung Sedili near here on Aug 7.

The MMEA had detained the first boat at around 6.57am and the second boat about 40 minutes later on that day.

"One of the vessels tried to escape when the fishermen saw our men approaching, but we managed to intercept it," said Tanjung Sedeli MMEA director Capt Amran Daud.

He said initial investigations indicate the fishermen had used the illegal trawling nets less than 12 nautical miles off Pulau Aur, while three of the fishermen did not have work permits.

Capt Amran said the MMEA also found about 4,000kg of fish on the two fishing vessels, which were towed to the Tanjung Sedeli Maritime Jetty.

The case is being investigated under the Fisheries Act 1985.

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Indonesia: 282 hot spots detected across the country

Francis Chan Straits Times 7 Aug 17;

Indonesian satellites yesterday morning picked up 282 hot spots - believed to be the highest number across the country this year - as the dry season continues.

The worst hit province was West Kalimantan, where more than half of the hot spots were detected, said National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, as he released the figures yesterday evening.

Five districts in the province - Kubu Raya, Ketapang, Sekadau, Melawi and Bengkayang - have declared a state of emergency to enable the local authorities to access central government support, including military assistance, to put out the fires.

Dr Sutopo also expressed concern that although 150 hot spots were detected across West Kalimantan, the number of fires there may be higher. "Land and forest fires in West Kalimantan continue despite our continued efforts to suppress them," he said.

He warned that the number of hot spots is probably higher as the satellites may not have passed over all the forest and land areas where fires could be burning.

Other areas in Indonesia were also hit by forest fires, albeit not as badly as in 2015, when the burning of forest and peatland in Kalimantan and Sumatra produced a transboundary haze that blanketed the region and led to record air pollution levels for months.

Aside from those in West Kalimantan, the hot spots were spread across other provinces such as South Sumatra (23), South Sulawesi (18), Riau (16) and East Nusa Tenggara (12).

Dr Sutopo said the hot spots were spotted on private plantation land, community-owned land and in national parks, in hard-to-reach locations. "The areas burned are generally areas that are difficult to access and away from settlements, that is why (the fires) are difficult to extinguish," he said.

As of last Saturday, 18 helicopters have been deployed for firefighting operations in Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan and South Kalimantan. All five provinces are currently in a state of emergency.

Indonesia's Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar said last week that helicopters will deployed to put out fires over areas where there is limited road access.

"If land access is difficult or shut down for a long time, then we will use water-bombings," she said.

The dry season in Indonesia has been forecast to end next month at the earliest.


Indonesia's environment minister proposes meeting to tackle forest fires
Saifulbahri Ismail Channel NewsAsia 8 Aug 17;

JAKARTA: Indonesia may soon hold a coordination meeting to tackle the forest fires in various parts of the country, according to Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar.

Local news portal detik.com quoted Siti Nurbaya as saying she proposed the meeting to President Joko Widodo after meeting him at the Presidential Palace on Monday (Aug 7).

"I will follow this up with the Cabinet Secretary,” she said. “I will immediately send out the letters to ask for a coordination meeting with all the heads of districts, especially in the fire-prone areas."

Authorities have detected an increase in the number of hotspots in Indonesia's eastern most province of Papua. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said satellite images on Monday showed 93 hotspots in Papua, up from just seven the day before.

In a statement on Monday, BNPB said most of the forest fires occurred in the regencies of Merauke and Mappi.

Across Indonesia, a total of 158 hotspots were detected on Monday, down from 282 on Sunday. A substantial decrease in hotspots in fire-prone provinces like South Sumatra and Riau was also recorded.

There were only two hotspots in South Sumatra recorded on Monday, down from 23 on Sunday, while in Riau 1 hotspots was counted – down from 16 the day before.

"The number of hotspots from forest fires continue to fluctuate. Rain and firefighting efforts in Sumatra and Kalimantan have helped reduce the hotspots," said BNPB's spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.
Source: CNA/ek


Forest fire in Ogan Ilir forest extinguished
Antara 7 Aug 17;

Palembang, S Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Commander of the Sriwijaya/Regional Military District II Major General Am Putranto has confirmed that a fire in the Ogan Ilir forest was put out.

The commander visited the location of the fire in Arisanjaya Village, Pendamaran Sub-district, Ogan Ilir District, South Sumatra Province, on Monday.

His personnel had joined a team comprising police officers, rangers, volunteers, and fire brigade personnel, among others, in the fight against the wildfire.

The Army official has urged local farmers to stop practicing the slash and burn method to clear land for farming.

He also expressed hope that a fire would not recur in the area.

Meanwhile, Indonesias National Disaster Mitigation Agency has forecast that forest and land fires would continue to increase ahead of the peak of the current dry season in September.

"The likelihood of fires surfacing will continue to increase. The peak of the dry season is forecast to fall in September, and so, the potential for forest and land fires occuring will increase," the agencys spokesman, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, noted in a press statement received in Jakarta on Sunday.

So far, five out of the 34 provinces -- Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan -- have already declared an emergency status.

In West Kalimantan, the five districts of Kubu Raya, Ketapang, Sekadau, Melawi, and Bengkayang have declared an emergency status.

Sutopo said hotspots indicating forest and land fires have, so far, been found in plantations of private companies, peoples lands, and national parks.

"Based on the locations of hotspots in 2015, 2016, and 2017, it shows that fires have been found to recur in several locations every year, such as at the Tesso Nelo National Park, Ogan Komering Ilir, and the Riau-Jambi border area," he pointed out.(*)


Some Indonesian districts not on emergency alert for forest fires despite hotspots
Saifulbahri Ismail Channel NewsAsia 6 Aug 17;

JAKARTA: Despite the detection of hotspots, some districts in Indonesia have yet to be on emergency alert for forest fires, said Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) on Sunday (Aug 6).

In a statement, BNPB said the districts include those in Kapuas Hulu, Sanggau, Sintang and Landak - all in the West Kalimantan province.

West Kalimantan, however, declared an emergency alert status on a provincial level on Jul 26.

Satellite images from the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN) on Sunday showed there were a total of 282 hotspots across Indonesia, with 150 of them in West Kalimantan.

Hotspots were also detected in other provinces considered fire-prone areas - South Sumatra had 23, Riau 16 and Jambi with two.

BNPB said forest fires started to appear in the Ogan Ilir regency of the South Sumatra province on Saturday. The agency deployed four helicopters to the region to conduct water bombing operations.

It added that districts that have many groups adopting the Fire Awareness Community and Village Disaster Mitigation programmes have managed to reduce hotspots this year.

"On the other hand, districts with few groups following the programmes have seen many hotspots appear in their area. This shows areas with low monitoring capability are more prone to forest fires," said BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

The peak of the dry season is expected to last until September and the threat of forest fires may increase.
Source: CNA/aa

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Malaysia: More jellyfish off Sabah’s west coast due to hot spell

The Star 7 Aug 17;

KOTA KINABALU: Beware if you plan to go for a swim off Sabah’s west coast – the chances of getting stung by jellyfish in those waters are high.

Typically, jellyfish season is between March and July but the prevailing hot weather has caused a large number of the marine creature to remain there.

While jellyfish can be found all year round in the waters here, their numbers appear to dramati­cally increase during those five months, research by Universiti Malaysia Sabah concluded.

The university’s Borneo Marine Research Institute senior lecturer John Madin said the po­­pulation of certain jellyfish species also increases in December and January.

“The areas to watch out for are protected bays where the water is calmer,” he said.

State Fisheries Department director Ahemad Sade cautioned beachgoers against going into the water because a sharp rise in the number of jellyfish has been noted.

On July 30, five children aged between five and 12 were stung by jellyfish while swimming off Tanjung Aru beach.

Madin also said that the sting of the two most common jellyfish species – Lobonemoides robustus and Catostylus townsendi – is not potent but that of the species Carybdea sp. and Chironex sp. could be fatal.


Beachgoers, beware of jellyfish in waters off Sabah
The Star 3 Aug 17;

KOTA KINABALU: Beachgoers here are being warned to be cautious before entering the water amid a “blooming” of jellyfish along Sabah’s west coast.

State Fisheries Department director Ahemad Sade said the increased numbers of jellyfish was associated with the prevailing dry spell in Sabah for more than a week.

He said those heading to beaches such as the popular Tanjung Aru area near here should be extra careful.

“They should heed any warnings or advice from Civil Defence Department personnel at the Tanjung Aru beach,” Ahemad said.

He said it was difficult to predict the jellyfish season due to uncertain weather conditions.

The jellyfish season last year occurred between January and March. Five children were stung by jellyfish while swimming at the Tanjung Aru beach on Sunday.

The children aged between five and 12 years received first aid treatment from Civil Defence beach rangers who applied acetic acid on the wounds before they were taken to hospital.

According to department’s records, the jellyfish species at Tanjung Aru had been identified as the chironomid box (chorpsalmus quadrigatus) ) locally known as obor-obor api.

The sting of this jellyfish was known to be highly venomous.

The other type found in the sea in Tanjung Aru was the black spotted jellyfish (catostylus townsendi) locally known as obor-obor pasir.

The sting from the tentacles of this species could cause itch or allergic reactions causing inflammation and swelling.


Five children stung by jellyfish in Sabah
STEPHANIE LEE The Star 30 Jul 17;

KOTA KINABALU: Five children were stung by jellyfish while swimming at the public beach in Tanjung Aru on Sunday.

The victims have been identified as brothers Mohd Afiq Syahmi Aziz, 12, and Mohd Afif Danis Aziz, 10, their cousin Rafiqi Aishy Ramadan, six, and two others — Mohd Harish Hafsham, eight, and Nurhana Batrisya Md Hisham, five.

Sabah Civil Defence Department director Kol Mulliadi al-Hamdi said the children were swimming and playing at the beach in the afternoon when they felt pains on their bodies.

“These incidents happened at two different times, the first two cases happened at about 12.30pm involving Mohd Harish and Nurhana,” he said.

He said Mohd Harish was stung on his stomach, chest, left arm and his back while Nurhana was stung on her arm and feet.

He said beach patrol rangers were dispatched to the scene following a report of the incident.

The department was alerted about the second incident at 2.40pm.

The three victims — Mohd Afiq, Mohd Afif and Rafiqi — were all stung on their backs and chests.

All the victims were treated with acetic acid before being taken to the hospital for further treatment. They are all in stable condition.

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Malaysia: Sultan of Johor issues decree on diving activities at Sultan Iskandar Marine Park

Ahmad Fairuz Othman New Straits Times 7 Aug 17;

MERSING: Scuba divers must obtain prior approval and register themselves at the Mersing District Council before taking part in diving activities at Sultan Iskandar Marine Park here.

The Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar issued the decree today after launching the Coral Restoration Programme and signing the Malaysia Book of Records’ (MBOR) plaque for the Largest 1Malaysia Simultaneous Coral Reef Plantation Programme in Pulau Tinggi.

The ruler said divers should also make an effort to protect the marine life and rich coral reefs in the park.

"Much of the corals have been damaged due to boats anchoring improperly and flouting the regulations,"

"I will dive again (in Pulau Mentinggi) in two months to look at the progress of newly-restored coral reefs.

"Divers who are heading to the Sultan Iskandar Marine Park must register themselves at the Mersing District Council. You must not simply come from Singapore or anywhere else and go diving here," said Sultan Ibrahim.

He said divers must also ensure that areas they were conducting activities were covered by insurance.

"To the divers, before you go (diving) and whatever you do, you must look at whether there is any insurance (coverage). Safety is very important in this matter," he said.

The Largest 1Malaysia Simultaneous Coral Reef Plantation Programme was held in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of the Department of Marine Park Malaysia.

The programme was held simultaneously in eight marine parks nationwide with the other events held in Pulau Redang and Pulau Perhentian in Terengganu, Pulau Tioman in Pahang, Pulau Payar in Kedah and Labuan.

Sultan Ibrahim joined 42 scuba divers from various agencies to plant 1,200 coral seeds in an underwater polyvinyl chloride (PVC) frame in Pulau Mentinggi, which is part of Pulau Tinggi.

The entry into the MBOR was confirmed by Tenggaroh assemblyman K. Raven Kumar, who represented MBOR.

Also present were Department of Marine Park Malaysia's deputy director-general Ab Rahim Gor Yaman, Johor Health, Environment, Education and Information Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat, Mersing District Officer Ashari Kasnan and Johor Department of Marine Park Malaysia director Mohd Nizam Ismail.

So far, 13 islands in Mersing with sea areas covering 765.65 sq km have been gazetted as part of the Sultan Iskandar Marine Park. Another eight uninhabited islands around the area were waiting to be gazetted in a bid to expand the marine park.

Meanwhile, Ayub said the state government would ensure the park’s marine ecosystem, including its coral reefs were properly conserved and protected from encroachment of illegal fishermen.

“We will carry out enforcement with agencies such as the Department of Marine Park Malaysia, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, Fisheries Department and Johor National Park Corporation,” he said.

A statement from the Department of Marine Park Malaysia said that until Dec 2015, 32,498 nubbins or coral fragments were used in its coral restoration in the Sultan Iskandar Marine Park.

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Malaysia: Bornean pygmy elephant shot to death in forest reserve; netizens distressed by video

AVILA GERALDINE New Straits Times 7 Aug 17;

KINABATANGAN: As a Bornean pygmy elephant struggled for its life after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds in an oil palm plantation near the Malua Forest Reserve here, concerned estate workers could only watch helplessly.

The workers had spotted the adult female elephant lying on the ground at about 7am on Aug 4, clinging on to life.

It died of its wounds soon after.

What made the incident all the more upsetting was that the pygmy elephant had a calf, which could be heard wailing for its mother in the distance, as it hid from the estate workers.

The calf eventually disappeared.

The incident was captured by a smartphone’s camera, and a one-minute-and-seven-second video clip was uploaded to the Danau Girang Field Centre’s Facebook page today.

In the footage, workers are heard expressing their sadness and concern over the majestic mammal’s condition, and voice their disgust over the crime perpetrated upon it.

“Teruk betul ini orang ni… Dia tembak ini, mungkin (What a horrible person (the culprit is)… He probably shot (the elephant)),” say the workers.

Some of the onlookers also mention the baby elephant they spot off-camera, and the faint cries of a juvenile could be heard in the distance.

A man is heard asking: “Mana anaknya? (Where is the calf?)”; and a woman responds: “Jalan sudah dia, ndak mau dikacau mungkin. Kesian (It went away, probably it doesn’t want to be disturbed (by humans). What a pity.)”

Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) director Augustine Tuuga told the New Straits Times that a team of investigating officers and veterinarians was sent to the site immediately after being alerted to the incident.

“A forestry officer stationed at the Malua forest reserve informed the department at 9am yesterday. He said the elephant was alive when the workers found it at 7am, but it eventually died.

“When the team arrived, there was only one elephant and they conducted a post-mortem. It was unknown when the elephant was shot. At the moment, I am still waiting for the report,” Augustine said.

Meanwhile, Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said he has instructed the SWD to conduct a thorough investigation to identify the culprit and bring them to court.

“An iconic elephant has been killed for a reason we do not know. It is sad because it is as though our people have yet to understand our need to conserve the pygmy elephant in Sabah.

“We need to look at the elephant as a resource that helps Sabah people move forward in tourism,” he said.

Masidi also advised those who come across elephants to contact the SWD directly, especially if they need assistance drive them away from their land.


Pygmy elephant shot dead in Sabah
MUGUNTAN VANAR The Star 8 Aug 17;

KOTA KINABALU: Another Borneo pygmy elephant has been killed on the east coast of Sabah. The adult female was found with multiple gunshot wounds by workers at a plantation close to the Malua Forest Reserve in Kinabatangan.

A video of the dead elephant was posted on the Facebook page of Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC), a research and training facility, yesterday.

A post-mortem has been conducted, confirming that the animal was killed by pellets from a shotgun.

Sabah Forestry Department chief conservator of forests Datuk Sam Mannan said a team of rangers has been sent to investigate if the elephant was shot by poachers inside the forest reserve.

The killing shocked officials at DGFC, who described it as a blow against the conservation of critically endangered jumbos.

DGFC director Dr Benoit Goossens said it did not make sense because it is a female, so no tusks to harvest, and no meat was taken.

“It is sad and senseless,” he said.

He said the dead elephant was not part of the herd monitored by researchers at DGFC.

Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun also described it as a sad incident. He ordered wildlife rangers to track down the culprits.

Late last year, three pygmy elephants, including a rare sabre tusk jumbo, were killed by poachers in the Segama area.

Apart from poaching threats, human-elephant conflicts on the east coast have seen land owners killing the animals when trying to stop them from destroying their crops.

Sabah Wildlife director Augustine Tuuga said the 2.2m tall elephant, which was about 10 years old, was shot in the head, stomach and waist.

“Some of the buckshot and shotgun pellets penetrated the internal organs of the elephant. It is believed that the elephant was shot a week earlier,” he said in a statement yesterday.

He said the elephant was eventually found dead at Golden Apex Plantation in Kinaba­tangan, about 100m from the Malua Forest Reserve boundary.

It was still alive when it was first found by a plantation worker at around 7am on Friday.

Poachers unlikely to be behind killing of elephant: Sabah Wildlife Dept
AVILA GERALDINE New Straits Times 8 Aug 17;

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) has shifted its investigation to crop farm workers and owners to establish if they are behind the recent killing of a female Bornean elephant in Kinabatangan plantation.

Its director Augustine Tuuga said the shooting could not have been done by poachers based on the pattern.

“The elephant was not killed for its tusk because it was a female. It is more on protecting crops in the plantation area.

“For that reason, we believe a farm owner or a worker might be the person responsible in shooting the mammal that could have trespassed into the farm,” he told reporters when met at the state legislative building, here.

Tuuga said the department’s investigation would look into the angle, adding a team of investigating officers will be inspecting the plantation area to find damaged crops.

He also noted a report was has been lodged at the Kinabatangan police headquarters and that it is a normal procedure for the department to make a police report for any wildlife case.

Meanwhile, Kinabatangan police chief Superintendent A. Sahak Rahmat confirmed to have received the report but stressed the investigation is conducted by SWD.

Yesterday, Tuuga said veterinarians found gunshot wounds on the elephant’s head, stomach and waist, with some of the buck shot and BB pellets had penetrated into the internal organs.

Based on examination, the mammal estimated to be 10 years old was believed shot a week earlier before it was discovered by a plantation worker on Aug 4 at the Golden Apex Plantation, about 100 metres away from the Malua Forest Reserve.


Pygmy elephant death: It could have been revenge
STEPHANIE LEE The Star 9 Aug 17;

KOTA KINABALU: Revenge is the likely motive behind the killing of a 10-year-old Borneo pygmy elephant at a plantation close to the Malua Forest Reserve in Sabah's east coast district of Kinabatangan.

Investigators believe that the endangered animal it might have been a victim of revenge rather than a victim of poachers.

Rangers from the Sabah Wildlife Department and the national Wildlife Department are on the ground interviewing workers at plantations along the Malua and Segama Forest reserves, where the elephant was found dying on Aug 4.

Sabah Forestry Department chief conservator of forests Datuk Sam Mannan said the elephant that was shot in its head, stomach and torso could not have been valuable to poachers because it was a female and did not have tusks.

"So we are not sure why someone would want to kill a female elephant if not for revenge," he said.

He said investigators believe the elephant may have been killed because it had probably destroyed crops or young oil palm trees.

Human-elephant conflicts on the east coast have seen landowners killing these elephants in trying to stop them from destroying their crops.

"However, we are still not sure about the motive or who killed it," Mannan said when contacted by phone on Wednesday.

He said forest rangers have identified landowners in the area and were in the process of interviewing them.

"We are also looking for witnesses, and we hope someone can tell us who did this and why," he added.

The jumbo was first discovered still alive by plantation workers at 7am on Aug 4, but had died by the time wildlife officers arrived on Sunday.

Late last year, three pygmy elephants, including a rare sabre tusk jumbo, were killed by poachers in the Segama area. The suspects remain unidentified.


Authorities: Jumbo may be victim of revenge
STEPHANIE LEE The Star 10 Aug 17;

KOTA KINABALU: Human-elephant conflict might have been the reason a 10-year-old pygmy elephant was killed at a plantation close to the Malua Forest Reserve in Sabah’s east coast district of Kinabatangan.

Authorities believe the elephant could have been a victim of revenge rather than poachers because it was destroying crops or young oil palm trees in the area.

Investigators are trying to narrow in on the killer or killers of the elephant, which is an endangered species. Both Sabah Wildlife Depart­ment and Wildlife Department rangers were on the ground interviewing workers at plantations along the Malua forest reserve and Segama Forest reserve area where the elephant was found dying on Friday.

Sabah Forestry Department Datuk Sam Mannan said the elephant that was shot on its head and torso was not valuable to poachers as it was a female and did not have tusks.

“So we are not sure why someone would want to kill a female elephant if not for revenge,” he said.

He said the elephant might have been killed because it probably destroyed crops or young oil palm trees.

“However, we are still not sure about the motive or who killed it,” Mannan said when contacted by phone.

He said they were trying to ascertain where the elephant was found exactly, whether closer to the Malua or Ulu Segama Forest Reserve and then speak to the landowner about the matter.

He said forest rangers have identified the landowners at the area and were in the process of interviewing them while hoping that witnesses could come forward.

“We hope someone can tell us who did this and why,” he added.

The jumbo was first discovered still alive by plantation workers at 7am on Friday but when wildlife officers arrived on Sunday, it was already dead.

Late last year, three pygmy elephants, including a rare sabre tusk jumbo, were killed by poachers in the Segama area. The culprits remain unidentified.

Apart from poaching threats, human-elephant conflicts on the east coast have seen landowners killing the animals when trying to stop them from destroying their crops.



Shot pygmy elephant may be chased by planters: Wildlife rescue unit
KRISTY INUS New Straits Times 9 Aug 17;

KOTA KINABALU: There is a possibility that the female elephant shot recently at a plantation in Kinabatangan was chased away by planters as the herd was feasting on their crops, Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) said today.

Its Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU) acting manager Dr Diana Ramirez said due to increasing human-elephant conflict, the species has developed a taste for young oil palm where large plots of plantations are found in the State’s east coast.

While their unit was not involved in the post-mortem, she said based on known behavioral pattern, an elephant could walk a long way even after being wounded by gunshots.

“We can’t say how far this elephant has walked (after being shot) but these are strong animals.

“Some after being shot would only move a few steps before collapsing while others have been known to have walked over 100 metres and more,” she said when asked on the possibility of the elephant being shot at a plantation or nearby forest reserve.

“But a herd of elephants is capable of destroying hundreds of hectares of crops overnight, and herd-size varies from maybe five to sometimes 30 elephants. So, you can imagine the impact,” Dr Diana told New Straits Times.

She was commenting on the killing of a Bornean pygmy elephant, estimated to be around 10 years old that was discovered by a plantation worker on Aug 4 at Golden Apex plantation, about 100 metres away from the Malua Forest Reserve.

The mammal which was still breathing when found, suffered gunshot wounds to its head, stomach and waist.

Dr Diana believed that based on the fresh wounds, the elephant was shot between 24 to 48 hours before being discovered by the worker.

Yesterday, SWD director Augustine Tuuga said they have shifted investigations to crop farm workers and owners to establish if they were behind the killing.


Sabah says it will find pygmy elephant killers ‘soon’
STEPHANIE LEE The Star 12 Aug 17;

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah officials are confident that they will soon find those behind the killing of a 10-year-old pygmy elephant at a plantation close to the Malua Forest Reserve in Kinabatangan district.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment assistant minister Datuk Pang Yuk Ming said every bullet was traceable and they hope to be able to find the person behind the killing soon.

“We do not know for sure who killed the animal but hope to find the source of the bullets found from the elephant’s body and get the culprit,” he said.

Pang said Sabah was against such killings and would do its best to solve the case.

"For now, let us leave the investigations to those involved and get all necessary and accurate information which could help solve this killing," he added.

The female pygmy elephant was first discovered still alive by plantation workers at 7am on Aug 4, but it had died by the time wildlife officials arrived two days later.

State authorities had previously believed the elephant could have been a victim of revenge because it was destroying crops or young oil palm trees in the area.

But based on their investigations, they now believe poachers could have been the culprits, according to Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga.

“We have spoken to many plantation workers and they claim poachers were the ones to have shot it to death However, the workers were not able to give us any suspects,” he said during the Elephant Film Festival here on Saturday.

Late last year, three pygmy elephants including a rare sabre tusk jumbo were killed by poachers in the Segama area. The suspects remain unidentified.

Apart from poaching threats, human-elephant conflicts on the east coast have seen landowners killing the animals when trying to stop them from destroying their crops.


Wildlife department baffled why elephants without tusks are killed
OLIVIA MIWIL New Straits Times 12 Aug 17;

KOTA KINABALU: Investigation into the recent killing of a Borneo pygmy elephant in Kinabatangan is still ongoing.
Sabah Wildlife department director Augustine Tuuga said their investigation team was still at the scene gathering information.

The adult female died due to multiple gunshot wounds.

“Plantation workers said that they were not able to see the faces of poachers as the incident happened at night.

“They also claimed the culprits were from outside the plantation,” he said during a press conference after the launching of an inaugural Sabah Elephant Film Festival 2017.

Earlier in his presentation at the festival, Augustine said there had been recent poaching for elephants’ tusks.

The department had said they encountered similar cases in the past involving Indonesians who gave tusks for dowry.

“However, we are still unsure of the motive of killing elephants without tusks,” he said.

Meanwhile, state Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Pang Yuk Ming said police would also help with the investigation.

“Every bullet is traceable. Let’s hope the people behind this will be caught.”

Last year, three elephants including a rare sabre tusk jumbo were mutilated by poachers in the Segama area.

Other causes of elephants’ death include the species being poisoned, illness and fights among themselves.


Probe into jumbo’s killing hits dead end
The Star 22 Aug 17;

KOTA KINABALU: Investigations into the killing of a female Borneo pygmy elephant in Kinabatangan has hit a dead end as wildlife rangers are unable to get concrete leads to narrow down the suspects.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said they have no new leads or suspects in this case.

The source of bullets used in the killing was also untraceable, he added.

“We were banking on having these bullets traced to find out where they came from,” said Tuuga.

The 10-year-old pygmy elephant was found killed at a plantation close to the Malua Forest Reserve in Sabah’s east coast Kinabatangan on Aug 4.

The jumbo was first discovered still alive by plantation workers at 7am but when wildlife officers arrived on Aug 6, it was already dead.

Late 2016, three pygmy elephants, including a rare sabre tusk jumbo, were killed in the Segama area. The poachers were never found.

Apart from poaching threats, human-elephant conflicts on the east coast have seen landowners killing the animals when trying to stop them from destroying their crops.

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Indonesia: One million hectares of oil palm plantation illegal in Riau

Antara 7 Aug 17;

Padang, W Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Around one million hectares of oil palm plantations are illegal in Riau, Director General of Ecosystem and Natural Resources Conservation of the Environment and Forestry Ministry Wiratno has said.

The plantation are located in state forests, Wiratno told a seminar on the role of the private sector in conservation of Harimau tigers at the Andalas University here.

"Generally , they are located in state forest areas beyond effective coverage of control by government," he said here on last weekend.

The perpetrators, mostly people from other regions outside Riau cleared the forests to open plantations, he said.

He said the government could not fully control the areas partly because of limited number of officers.

The impact is narrowing forest areas and the habitat of wildlife including Sumatra tigers, he said.

Wiratno did not say if any legal action had been taken against the illegal oil palm plantations . Oil palm plantations had been blamed environmentalists for extensive damage to the countrys tropical forests.

The European Parliament has even approved a resolution to boycott the countrys palm oil and derivatives for alleged damage to the countrys forests by oil palm plantation companies.

Wiratno only said that solution has to be found for the problem as it concerns not only conversion in the function of lands but also the habitat of the rare species such as Sumatra tigers.

"Shrinking population of wildlife in the world is partly caused by loss of habitats, he said.(*)

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