The Star 13 Sep 18;
SANDAKAN (Bernama): An orangutan with gunshot wounds was found dead in the Kinabatangan River on Tuesday.
Three gun pellets were discovered inside the female orangutan's body and a post-mortem revealed that she had died from massive internal bleeding.
Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) public relations officer Siti Nur'ain Ampuan Acheh said they received a report of an Orang utan carcass drifting in the river.
She said staff from the Kinabatangan Wildlife Office and Honorary Wildlife Wardens from non-governmental organisation Hutan-Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation then started a search for the carcass.
The search team recovered the carcass the same day about 500m from where it was sighted, she said in a statement on Thursday.
Siti Nur'ain said the orang utan, estimated to be 30 years' old, had wounds on her abdomen, shoulder and foot.
She added that a police report was lodged and the case was being investigated under Section 25 (1) of the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 for hunting animals listed in Part 1 of Schedule 1.
She said the Sabah Wildlife Department urged anyone with information regarding the case to contact the officer-in-charge of the Kinabatangan Wildlife Office immediately. – Bernama
Orang utan in Kinabatangan dies from gunshot wounds
Olivia Miwil New Straits Times 13 Sep 18;
KOTA KINABALU: An orang utan was found dead due to massive internal bleeding from gunshots.
Sabah Wildlife department spokesperson Siti Nur’ain Ampuan Acheh said the department was alerted of the incident on Tuesday.
“The Sabah Wildlife Department received a report of a carcass of an orang utan seen drifting in the Kinabatangan River in Sandakan.
“The staff of Kinabatangan Wildlife Office and honorary wildlife warden began a search following the report,” she said in a statement.
The search team recovered the body about 500 metres from its initial location reported on the same day.
“Based on the post mortem result, the female orang utan, aged 30 years, has physical wounds on its abdomen, shoulder and foot.
“Three gun pellets were also discovered inside its body,” she said, adding a police report had been lodged.
The case is being investigated under Section 25 (1) Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 for hunting animals listed in Part 1 Schedule 1.
“We urge anyone with information to contact the officer-in-charge of Kinabatangan Wildlife Office immediately.”
Previously, there was a population of up to 20,000 orang utan in the 1980s and this decreased to 11,000 in 2004.
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