Avila Geraldine New Straits Times 12 Jun 19;
KOTA KINABALU: An eight-year-old Borneo pygmy was euthanised yesterday after having suffered from severe dental condition as a result of a complete fracture of its lower jaw.
The sub-adult bull elephant, nicknamed Toothie, was put out of misery by Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) and Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU) veterinary team at 12pm.
The process was carried out at the Borneo Elephant Sanctuary (BES) in the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary where Toothie was being kept in captivity for three months.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew in a statement today said the decision to put the elephant to death humanely was based on ethical and animal welfare factors.
“Toothie was nursed in captivity for three months, in hope for an improvement in his condition. Unfortunately, it did not improve and the fracture developed a malunion of the jaw, thus causing a permanent deformity that he could only cope with assisted feeding.
“Releasing Toothie back to the wild was a rejected option as he would not be able to feed and sustain himself. Instead, it would contribute to a slow and painful death,” she said.
Liew, who is also Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, said nursing Toothie in captivity for the past three months had cost the SWD RM30,000 for medical care and special diet formulation.
She added that corrective surgery was not done due to cost factor and the procedure also could not guarantee success.
The wildlife department is still investigating the cause of fracture, which is highly suspected to have been caused by a massive blunt force trauma probably by a heavy vehicle.
Toothie was rescued from Sabah Softwood Plantation on March 21. Initially, he was found with an abscess at the lower jaw and unable to close his mouth.
A veterinary team from WRU and SWD examined and concluded that the elephant was suffering from a severe dental condition, which was getting worse with his feeding habit.
Toothie was further hospitalised in BES for treatment and provided with a modified diet.
On April 10, a team of veterinarians and a human dental specialist, Dr Johnathan Lin Chee Hang carried out thorough dental examination and took X-rays.
The outcome of that procedure revealed that the animal was suffering from a serious complete fracture of the lower jaw which had subsequently caused the dental condition.
Severely injured bull elephant put to sleep after rescuers fail to nurse it back to health
stephanie lee The Star 12 Jun 19;
KOTA KINABALU: A severely injured bull elephant that was believed to have been hit by a vehicle in an accident a few months ago was euthanised on Tuesday (June 11) after rescuers failed to nurse it back to health.
The eight-year-old elephant, which was rescued from a plantation in Tawau on March 21, sustained multiple injuries including to its head and jaw.
Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew said the decision was made after veterinarians attending to it hit a dead end trying to cure the elephant over the past three months.
"We cannot prolong its suffering any longer, the best decision is to put it to sleep," she said in a statement here Wednesday (June 12).
Liew said the elephant, which was affectionately named Toothie due to its condition when it was rescued, was found with an abscess in its lower jaw and was unable to close its mouth.
She said a team of vets from the WRU and SWD took the elephant to the Borneo Elephant Sanctuary in Kinabatangan for dental treatment and provided it with a modified diet as it was not able to eat.
"On April 10, a more thorough dental examination and X-ray was conducted, where medical experts discovered there was a complete fracture of the elephant's lower jaw," she said.
It is learnt that corrective surgery was not done as the medical team felt that the injury was too serious and there was a slim chance of success.
"Toothie was nursed in captivity for three months hoping for an improvement in its condition," Liew said.
"Unfortunately, it did not improve and the fracture developed into a mal-union of the jaw, causing a permanent deformity that the animal could only cope with assisted feeding," she said.
She said releasing Toothie back to the wild was rejected as it would not be able to feed and care for itself.
"Instead, releasing it would contribute to a slow painful death," she said.
Liew said nursing this elephant in captivity for the past three months had cost the Wildlife Department RM30,000 for medical care and special diet formulation.
She said the cause of the fracture is still being investigated but it is suspected to have been caused by a massive blunt force trauma, probably from a heavy vehicle.
