Malaysia: Female pygmy elephant shot dead in Tongod

Avila Geraldine New Straits Times 29 Aug 18;

KOTA KINABALU: A female Borneo pygmy elephant was shot dead at a plantation in Tongod, recently.

The carcass of the elephant, aged between 12 and 15, was discovered at Ladang Bintang Emas Property Sdn Bhd on Aug 25.

Sabah Wildlife Department public relations officer Siti Nur’ain Ampuan Acheh said today that a team of rangers and veterinary officer were despatched to the site after they were alerted by the Tongod district forestry officer.

“The team investigated and conducted a post-mortem on the elephant on Aug 27,” she said.

“It was estimated that it died about a week earlier.”

Siti said there was a round-shaped wound in the middle of the elephant’s temple area, which had penetrated into its skull.

“The right temporal part of the skull was found to have severe bleeding and debris from the impact, most probably from a gunshot. No bullets were found on the body.

“Death of the elephant is highly probably due to neurological damage caused to the brain.”


A female Borneo pygmy elephant was shot dead at a plantation in Tongod, recently. Pic by NSTP/ courtesy of Sabah Wildlife Department
Prior to the latest death, four Borneo Pygmy elephants were found dead in Sabah’s east coast.

It was reported that a cow and its calf were shot by poachers. Another elephant died after a tree fell on it, while the fourth was found dead with unknown causes.

A total of 25 elephant deaths have been reported this year. State wildlife director Augustine Tuuga saying all toxicology tests were done locally.

“The results are usually not conclusive (but there is) negative result to most known poisons and also bacteria or viruses,” he said.

On the department’s efforts to catch culprits responsible for killing the elephants, including using poison and snare traps, Tuuga said it would not be easy.

“It’s difficult to detect them and no witnesses have come forward to give information even when we have offer a RM120,000 reward,” he said, stressing that the reward was still on offer.

The RM120,000 reward was first offered five years ago to facilitate the department’s investigations into the deaths of 14 elephants in the Gunung Rara forest reserve.

Tuuga said the department had also offered RM20,000 for information on the killing of a sabre elephant, adding that nobody had come forward.


Elephant deaths: Sabah offers RM120,000 reward to catch poachers
natasha joibi The Star 29 Aug 18;

TELUPID: The Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) is offering a reward of RM120,000 for any information that would lead to the arrests of poachers or people setting up snare traps in the state.

The offer was announced following the shocking deaths of 25 Borneo pygmy elephants in the first eight months of this year, with 24 of them dying in the last four months.

The causes of death ranged from gunshot injuries, to wounds incurred from traps set up by hunters and other unknown causes.

Elephants injured by trapping devices will develop infections before they die.

Though elephants are very rarely the target of poachers, they commonly fall victim to these devices as they use the same trails as other wildlife.

SWD director Augustine Tuuga said it was not easy to detect the culprits as no witnesses have come forward so far to give information despite the RM120,000 reward offer.

This is not the first time the department has offered cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of the culprits. It had previously made a similar offer following the deaths of 14 elephants in the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve in 2013.

According to Tuuga, that case is still open.

"We also offered RM20,000 reward for information on the killing of the elephant with sabre tusks (in 2017) but nobody came forward.

"Don’t know, maybe they really do not have any information," Tuuga said, when asked why no one had come forward.

In the latest case, a female elephant was found dead at Ladang Bintang Emas Property Sdn Bhd in Tongod here on Saturday (Aug 25).

The cow, aged between 12 and 15, was believed to have been shot dead about a week before its discovery.

SWD public relations officer Siti Nur'ain Ampuan Acheh said the case was reported to the department by the Tongod District Forest Officer.

"SWD despatched a team of rangers and veterinary officer to investigate and conduct a post-mortem on the animal on Monday (Aug 27).

"The carcass was mildly decomposing. It was estimated that it had died about a week earlier," she said.

Siti Nur'ain said a round-shaped penetrating wound was found near the elephant's temple.

"No bullet was found on the body. The death of the elephant is probably due to neurological damages caused to the brain," she said.

The cow was among four elephants found dead over the weekend in Sabah's east coast. Another elephant was found trapped in a snare trap and suffered injuries.


No info on those behind jumbo deaths despite reward
natasha joibi The Star 30 Aug 18;

TELUPID: Despite the reward of RM120,000, no one has come forth with any information on the culprits who caused the deaths of 25 Borneo pygmy elephants in the state this year.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said the reward has been around for the past five years.

“Investigation into the deaths of the 14 elephants in the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve (in 2013) is still not closed.

“We also offered RM20,000 on the killing of the elephant with ‘sabre’ tusks (in 2017) but nobody came forward,” he said.

The causes of the deaths ranged from gunshot injuries to wounds incurred from traps set up by hunters and other unknown causes.

Elephants that are injured by trapping devices will develop infections before they die.

WWF Malaysia said that snares are commonly used by poachers along animal trails in forest reserves bordering plantations with the intention of catching wild boars and deer. Though elephants are very rarely the target of poachers, they commonly fall victim to these devices as they use the same trails as other wildlife.

In the latest case, a female elephant was found dead at Ladang Bintang Emas Property Sdn Bhd in Tongod here on Saturday.

SWD public relations officer Siti Nur’ain Ampuan Acheh said the case was reported to the department by the Tongod district forest officer.

“SWD despatched a team of rangers and veterinary officer to investigate and conduct post-mortem on the animal on Monday.

“The carcass was mildly decomposing. It is believed to have died about a week earlier,” she said.