Malaysia: Carcass of juvenile elephant found floating in Sungai Kinabatangan

Kristy Inus New Straits Times 19 May 18;

KINABATANGAN: The state Wildlife Department has confirmed that it received a report this morning about the carcass of a juvenile elephant that was found floating in Sungai Kinabatangan.

However, the department’s director, Augustine Tuuga, said he had yet to get feedback from the team which had gone to the location.

“The information was shared by a guide who was taking tourists along the Kinabatangan. From the picture that was circulated, it might be a three- or four-year-old elephant, but we are not sure yet,” he told the New Straits Times, adding that the animal’s body appeared to be intact.

A picture of the pachyderm’s remains and two voice recordings have gone viral via WhatsApp.

The voice recordings seemed to suggest that the carcass was spotted in the river near Danau Girang, where a wildlife research centre is located.


Cause of death of juvenile elephant not conclusive despite post-mortem
Kristy Inus New Straits Times 20 May 18;

KOTA KINABALU: The cause of death of the juvenile elephant found floating at Kinabatangan river yesterday has not been ascertained even after the post-mortem was completed today.

Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) director Augustine Tuuga said no gunshot wounds were found on the mammal which was a young female aged approximately three years old.

“Post mortem was completed at 2 pm this afternoon.

“No wounds were found on the body, meaning the cause of death was not from gunshot. There was no bullet inside the body.

“We cannot determine the cause of death at the moment ... Samples of vital internal organs were collected for toxicology and bacteriology analyses,” he said in a written reply to NST.

Asked whether the elephant could have died from poisoning, he replied: “No idea until we get the result of the analysis.”

Yesterday, a picture of an elephant’s carcass and two voice recordings went viral via WhatsApp social media application.

Augustine said they were notified about the case by a guide taking tourists at the area, and a team including a veterinarian was sent to the location, reported to be near Danau Girang Field Centre.