KOTA KINABALU, July 11 — Wildlife authorities have rescued an elephant calf, among the youngest they have come across, in a human-elephant conflict area in Tawau.
The young male jumbo, estimated to be less than a year old, was wandering alone at about 3pm yesterday when it was found by plantation workers in the Brumas oil palm area, who alerted their managers and called the authorities to rescue the animal.
Witnesses said that the animal was weak and seemed tired, but it was not aggressive when a team from the Sabah Wildlife Department came to take it away.
The elephant calf is currently under the care of wildlife rangers at the department’s Tawau base.
“The elephant found is very small and young, probably a few months and definitely less than a year. It will need a lot of attention and care if it is to survive,” said the source.
It has yet to be decided where the elephant calf will be kept, as it cannot be returned to the wild with an unfamiliar herd.
An elephant calf found alone is usually not a good sign for the species, indicating that its herd is either dead or faced some conflict that caused the calf to end up alone.
The Brumas area where the calf was found has experienced elephant encounters before, including an attack by a rogue bull elephant two years ago.
Oil palm plantations in the area also regularly report the presence of elephants despite a wildlife corridor that sometimes pose a danger to the crops and occasionally, the residents.
The east coast and interior of Sabah has seen an increase of human-wildlife conflict due to the rapid pace of development and land clearing.
In between 2013 and 2016, 15 orphaned baby elephants were found on their own in Tawau, Lahad Datu, Telupid, Kinabatangan and Sandakan — areas known as a hotbed of human-elephant conflicts.
The Sabah Wildlife Department is currently under scrutiny following reports of an ill-managed Lok Kawi Wildlife Park where rehabilitated animals are kept, including 16 elephants.
The recent death of two of its captive elephants — a 15-year-old and a three-year-old calf — raised concerns about the department’s capability of looking after Sabah’s endangered animals.
Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Christina Liew said there was no conclusive cause of death except that the animals were sick and “not expected to live long”.
Sabah’s endemic elephant population has been dwindling. There are an estimated 1,500 Borneo Pygmy elephants left in the wild.
This year alone, 16 deaths were reported to authorities, with six of those in the last two months.
Liew said that post-mortem reports showed that they had died of an unknown disease, with no discernible external wounds.
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https://www.malaymail.com/s/1650963/baby-elephant-rescued-from-tawau-palm-oil-plantation
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Showing posts with label captive elephant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label captive elephant. Show all posts
Sunday, July 29, 2018
Friday, October 27, 2017
Brigitte Bardot urges Malaysian government to rescue elephant in captivity in Langkawi
KUALA LUMPUR: Screen legend Brigitte Bardot has urged the government to let a wild-born Malaysian elephant kept in captivity in Langkawi to retire in the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary.
The former singer and actress expressed her concerns about the elephant, named Lasah, in a letter to Natural Resources and Environmental Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, dated Oct 11.
Bardot, a renown animal activist, said she was aware that Lasah lived alone and chained for several hours a day. She added that the elephant was used and abused for tourism purposes on the island.
She said, according a Malaysian NGO, media reports and several petitions, Lasah had been used in tourism and entertainment for more than 25 years, worked in a logging camp and spent many years in zoos in and outside the country.
"As you and your Ministry are aware, the only way elephants accept being ridden by tourists is by being crushed and frequently abused.
"Thanks to the advent of the internet and different social medias, this fact is now a common knowledge.
"It is also widely known that elephants must not be kept alone in captivity, males included. Depriving Lasah of the companionship of other elephants is cruel and has severe psychological impact on him, not to mention the repetitive elephant rides and the chains," she said in the letter.
Bardot added that the abuses and exploitation of Lasah has prevented him from expressing his natural behaviors, such as foraging and interacting with other elephants thus why retiring him to the sanctuary would offer him the opportunity to do so.
"To this day, the Malaysian government has spent tens of millions of Ringgit on pandas coming from China, and I can only hope that such a financial effort translates a certain concern about wildlife.
"Therefore I believe that the Malaysian government will have no problem with welcoming and caring for Lasah, who is a Malaysian-born elephant, at the sanctuary.
"It is a moral and ethical obligation to give Lasah the freedom he needs and deserves after so many years of suffering.
"I respectfully ask the Malaysian government to retire Lasah to the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary where he can live as a free elephant without fear of abuse and exploitation.
"This is what Lasah deserves and the gesture of compassion everyone expects from the Malaysian government," she said.
In July last year, Langkawi Elephant Adventure had dismissed allegations that it had abused Lasah.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:https://www.msn.com/en-my/news/other/brigitte-bardot-urges-malaysian-government-to-rescue-elephant-in-captivity-in-langkawi/ar-AAtjUU3
The former singer and actress expressed her concerns about the elephant, named Lasah, in a letter to Natural Resources and Environmental Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, dated Oct 11.
Bardot, a renown animal activist, said she was aware that Lasah lived alone and chained for several hours a day. She added that the elephant was used and abused for tourism purposes on the island.
She said, according a Malaysian NGO, media reports and several petitions, Lasah had been used in tourism and entertainment for more than 25 years, worked in a logging camp and spent many years in zoos in and outside the country.
"As you and your Ministry are aware, the only way elephants accept being ridden by tourists is by being crushed and frequently abused.
"Thanks to the advent of the internet and different social medias, this fact is now a common knowledge.
"It is also widely known that elephants must not be kept alone in captivity, males included. Depriving Lasah of the companionship of other elephants is cruel and has severe psychological impact on him, not to mention the repetitive elephant rides and the chains," she said in the letter.
Bardot added that the abuses and exploitation of Lasah has prevented him from expressing his natural behaviors, such as foraging and interacting with other elephants thus why retiring him to the sanctuary would offer him the opportunity to do so.
"To this day, the Malaysian government has spent tens of millions of Ringgit on pandas coming from China, and I can only hope that such a financial effort translates a certain concern about wildlife.
"Therefore I believe that the Malaysian government will have no problem with welcoming and caring for Lasah, who is a Malaysian-born elephant, at the sanctuary.
"It is a moral and ethical obligation to give Lasah the freedom he needs and deserves after so many years of suffering.
"I respectfully ask the Malaysian government to retire Lasah to the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary where he can live as a free elephant without fear of abuse and exploitation.
"This is what Lasah deserves and the gesture of compassion everyone expects from the Malaysian government," she said.
In July last year, Langkawi Elephant Adventure had dismissed allegations that it had abused Lasah.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:https://www.msn.com/en-my/news/other/brigitte-bardot-urges-malaysian-government-to-rescue-elephant-in-captivity-in-langkawi/ar-AAtjUU3
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Brigitte Bardot urges Malaysian government to rescue elephant in captivity in Langkawi
KUALA LUMPUR: Screen legend Brigitte Bardot has urged the government to let a wild-born Malaysian elephant kept in captivity in Langkawi to retire in the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary.
The former singer and actress expressed her concerns about the elephant, named Lasah, in a letter to Natural Resources and Environmental Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, dated Oct 11.
Bardot, a renown animal activist, said she was aware that Lasah lived alone and chained for several hours a day. She added that the elephant was used and abused for tourism purposes on the island.
She said, according a Malaysian NGO, media reports and several petitions, Lasah had been used in tourism and entertainment for more than 25 years, worked in a logging camp and spent many years in zoos in and outside the country.
"As you and your Ministry are aware, the only way elephants accept being ridden by tourists is by being crushed and frequently abused.
"Thanks to the advent of the internet and different social medias, this fact is now a common knowledge.
"It is also widely known that elephants must not be kept alone in captivity, males included. Depriving Lasah of the companionship of other elephants is cruel and has severe psychological impact on him, not to mention the repetitive elephant rides and the chains," she said in the letter.
Bardot added that the abuses and exploitation of Lasah has prevented him from expressing his natural behaviors, such as foraging and interacting with other elephants thus why retiring him to the sanctuary would offer him the opportunity to do so.
"To this day, the Malaysian government has spent tens of millions of Ringgit on pandas coming from China, and I can only hope that such a financial effort translates a certain concern about wildlife.
"Therefore I believe that the Malaysian government will have no problem with welcoming and caring for Lasah, who is a Malaysian-born elephant, at the sanctuary.
"It is a moral and ethical obligation to give Lasah the freedom he needs and deserves after so many years of suffering.
"I respectfully ask the Malaysian government to retire Lasah to the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary where he can live as a free elephant without fear of abuse and exploitation.
"This is what Lasah deserves and the gesture of compassion everyone expects from the Malaysian government," she said.
In July last year, Langkawi Elephant Adventure had dismissed allegations that it had abused Lasah.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:https://www.msn.com/en-my/news/other/brigitte-bardot-urges-malaysian-government-to-rescue-elephant-in-captivity-in-langkawi/ar-AAtjUU3
The former singer and actress expressed her concerns about the elephant, named Lasah, in a letter to Natural Resources and Environmental Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, dated Oct 11.
Bardot, a renown animal activist, said she was aware that Lasah lived alone and chained for several hours a day. She added that the elephant was used and abused for tourism purposes on the island.
She said, according a Malaysian NGO, media reports and several petitions, Lasah had been used in tourism and entertainment for more than 25 years, worked in a logging camp and spent many years in zoos in and outside the country.
"As you and your Ministry are aware, the only way elephants accept being ridden by tourists is by being crushed and frequently abused.
"Thanks to the advent of the internet and different social medias, this fact is now a common knowledge.
"It is also widely known that elephants must not be kept alone in captivity, males included. Depriving Lasah of the companionship of other elephants is cruel and has severe psychological impact on him, not to mention the repetitive elephant rides and the chains," she said in the letter.
Bardot added that the abuses and exploitation of Lasah has prevented him from expressing his natural behaviors, such as foraging and interacting with other elephants thus why retiring him to the sanctuary would offer him the opportunity to do so.
"To this day, the Malaysian government has spent tens of millions of Ringgit on pandas coming from China, and I can only hope that such a financial effort translates a certain concern about wildlife.
"Therefore I believe that the Malaysian government will have no problem with welcoming and caring for Lasah, who is a Malaysian-born elephant, at the sanctuary.
"It is a moral and ethical obligation to give Lasah the freedom he needs and deserves after so many years of suffering.
"I respectfully ask the Malaysian government to retire Lasah to the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary where he can live as a free elephant without fear of abuse and exploitation.
"This is what Lasah deserves and the gesture of compassion everyone expects from the Malaysian government," she said.
In July last year, Langkawi Elephant Adventure had dismissed allegations that it had abused Lasah.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:https://www.msn.com/en-my/news/other/brigitte-bardot-urges-malaysian-government-to-rescue-elephant-in-captivity-in-langkawi/ar-AAtjUU3
Friday, July 21, 2017
Orphaned baby elephants choose Fonterra milk every time
Several orphaned baby elephants were rescued by the Rehabilitation Centre four years ago after their parents died. Located deep within a large forest reserve in Sabah, Malaysia, the Centre is renowned for its work to rehabilitate orphaned orangutans, as well as displaced sunbears and rhinos.
Hutt City Rotarian Debbie Mair, who was visiting the animal sanctuary at the time, was captivated by the tiny elephants with oversized ears, round bellies and friendly, gentle natures. Believed to be a small sub-species of the Asian elephant, Borneo’s endangered pygmy elephants live in the county’s tropical rain forests and are thought to have descended from captive elephants owned by the Sultan of Sulu in 1750.
Moved by the young animals’ plight, Debbie bought milk powder locally to feed the elephants but they did not thrive and some were lost over following months. Debbie knew they had to take action to save the remaining baby elephants.
“Over the course of four weeks, we tested milk powders from New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia and Japan with the young elephants, with vet oversight and care. The results were astounding. When the elephants were offered a choice of milk powders, they actively wanted to drink Fonterra’s NZMP Fortified Milk Powder. In fact the two-to-three year old elephants refused to drink the other brands - the Fonterra one was their absolute favourite.”
Debbie said tests showed that the baby elephants did much better on the Fonterra milk powder and gained nearly twice as much weight compared to the other types of powders, which is good for their growth and development.
To read the full article, click on the story title
Hutt City Rotarian Debbie Mair, who was visiting the animal sanctuary at the time, was captivated by the tiny elephants with oversized ears, round bellies and friendly, gentle natures. Believed to be a small sub-species of the Asian elephant, Borneo’s endangered pygmy elephants live in the county’s tropical rain forests and are thought to have descended from captive elephants owned by the Sultan of Sulu in 1750.
Moved by the young animals’ plight, Debbie bought milk powder locally to feed the elephants but they did not thrive and some were lost over following months. Debbie knew they had to take action to save the remaining baby elephants.
“Over the course of four weeks, we tested milk powders from New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia and Japan with the young elephants, with vet oversight and care. The results were astounding. When the elephants were offered a choice of milk powders, they actively wanted to drink Fonterra’s NZMP Fortified Milk Powder. In fact the two-to-three year old elephants refused to drink the other brands - the Fonterra one was their absolute favourite.”
Debbie said tests showed that the baby elephants did much better on the Fonterra milk powder and gained nearly twice as much weight compared to the other types of powders, which is good for their growth and development.
To read the full article, click on the story title
Sunday, May 21, 2017
Malaysia: 1-tonne male elephant captured while roaming Kelantan park
GUA MUSANG: Rangers from the Kelantan Wildlife Department yesterday captured a potentially-dangerous male elephant at Taman Wangi here – the fifth captured by the department this year.
Its director, Mohd Hasdi Husin, said the elephant was roaming near the rear of the Gua Musang Fire Services and Rescue station when it was captured at about 2.45pm.
“The male elephant is believed to have come out from Gunung Rabong forest and had been roaming the area for several hours before he was captured,” he said today.
Mohd Hasdi said the male jumbo, weighing about one metric tonne, is believed to be between 12 and 15 years old.
“The elephant will be sent to Kuala Gandah, in Pahang, as soon as possible,” he added.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2017/05/malaysia-1-tonne-male-elephant-captured.html
Its director, Mohd Hasdi Husin, said the elephant was roaming near the rear of the Gua Musang Fire Services and Rescue station when it was captured at about 2.45pm.
“The male elephant is believed to have come out from Gunung Rabong forest and had been roaming the area for several hours before he was captured,” he said today.
Mohd Hasdi said the male jumbo, weighing about one metric tonne, is believed to be between 12 and 15 years old.
“The elephant will be sent to Kuala Gandah, in Pahang, as soon as possible,” he added.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2017/05/malaysia-1-tonne-male-elephant-captured.html
Lasah will remain at Langkawi
Here comes bad news for friends of Lasah, the ageing work elephant: Despite public outrage at his alleged ill treatment and a long campaign to secure his release, Lasah will remain at the Langkawi Elephant Adventures (LEA) amusement park on Langkawi island in Kedah.
Malaysian wildlife authorities have decided they saw no reason to take the elephant away from the park and relocate him to an elephant shelter in Sabah as animal lovers would have liked.
A special team of officials, headed by Azimuddin Bahari, deputy secretary-general at the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, began investigating the condition of the elephant last March after months of allegations by animal rights advocates that the 37-year-old pachyderm had been facing routine abuse at the facility. Minister Wan Junaid Tuanku Jaafar himself visited the park to check on Lasah and speak with local staffers in March.
Based on inspections by the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) and the Malaysian Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria (Mazpa), the elephant was deemed to be healthy and well kept. “The LEA management complied with all the regulations set by Perhilitan, and this report was supported by a consultant for wildlife management,” the committee said in a statement.
To read the full article, click on the story title
Malaysian wildlife authorities have decided they saw no reason to take the elephant away from the park and relocate him to an elephant shelter in Sabah as animal lovers would have liked.
A special team of officials, headed by Azimuddin Bahari, deputy secretary-general at the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, began investigating the condition of the elephant last March after months of allegations by animal rights advocates that the 37-year-old pachyderm had been facing routine abuse at the facility. Minister Wan Junaid Tuanku Jaafar himself visited the park to check on Lasah and speak with local staffers in March.
Based on inspections by the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) and the Malaysian Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria (Mazpa), the elephant was deemed to be healthy and well kept. “The LEA management complied with all the regulations set by Perhilitan, and this report was supported by a consultant for wildlife management,” the committee said in a statement.
To read the full article, click on the story title
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