Welcome to Elephant News Malaysia. This site is intended to be a public service to those wishing to keep up to date with events and issues affecting elephants in Malaysia.
Showing posts with label elephant carcass. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elephant carcass. Show all posts
Thursday, May 24, 2018
6 pygmy elephants found dead in Sabah in recent weeks
KUALA LUMPUR: Six Borneo pygmy elephants have been found dead in oil palm plantations in Sabah in recent weeks, officials said Monday, the latest of the endangered creatures to perish as their rainforest habitat is devastated.
The carcasses of the elephants, aged between one and 37, were discovered at different locations in Sabah, local Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga told AFP.
“We are currently conducting tests on their internal organs,” he said, adding the carcasses did not have any signs of gunshot wounds.
Tuuga said the elephants could have accidentally consumed fertiliser in the palm oil plantations, which could have poisoned them.
The Star newspaper, citing conservationists, said the creatures might have drunk from poisoned watering holes.
There are about 2,000 pygmy elephants, the smallest type of elephants in Asia, in the wild. Late last year, three were killed by poachers.
In 2013, 14 pygmy elephants were found dead in Sabah and were thought to have been poisoned.
They are threatened by widespread logging of their natural habitat to make way for lucrative oil palm plantations, and are targeted by poachers as their ivory fetches a high price on the black market.
The pygmy elephants are baby-faced with oversized ears, plump bellies and tails so long they sometimes drag on the ground as they walk.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2018/05/21/6-pygmy-elephants-found-dead-in-sabah-in-recent-weeks/
Friday, October 27, 2017
Malaysia: Two more pygmy elephants found dead without tusks
KOTA KINABALU: Another two Borneo pygmy elephants were found dead without their tusks in eastern Sabah.
One of the carcasses of the elephants was located in a plantation near the Dumpas area on Sept 10 while the other was found floating along the Kinabatangan river close to the Danau Girang Field Research Centre a few days ago.
Sources said it was difficult to pinpoint the area where the second bull was killed before the carcass was dumped into the river.
Sabah has been faced with the threat of wildlife poaching, especially of its endangered elephants which numbers around 2,000 in forests in eastern Sabah.
Six pygmy elephants, including the unique sabre tusk jumbo, have been reported killed over the last six months.
The Sabah Wildlife Department said they have no new leads or suspects in both the new cases.
Nevertheless, investigations are ongoing to identify the perpetrators.
The department's director, Augustine Tuuga, said the death of the elephant in Dumpas revealed no external injuries.
He said that they have taken blood samples to establish the cause of death while the second elephant might be a victim of poaching.
Wildlife officials were also probing the case of a green turtle found butchered on the shores of Pulau Bum Bum in Semporna which was highlighted in a Facebook posting on Wednesday.
At least nine dead turtles were seen in the photo uploaded on Facebook.
Tuuga said they were verifying the reports and carrying an investigation into the deaths.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2017/09/malaysia-two-more-pygmy-elephants-found.html
One of the carcasses of the elephants was located in a plantation near the Dumpas area on Sept 10 while the other was found floating along the Kinabatangan river close to the Danau Girang Field Research Centre a few days ago.
Sources said it was difficult to pinpoint the area where the second bull was killed before the carcass was dumped into the river.
Sabah has been faced with the threat of wildlife poaching, especially of its endangered elephants which numbers around 2,000 in forests in eastern Sabah.
Six pygmy elephants, including the unique sabre tusk jumbo, have been reported killed over the last six months.
The Sabah Wildlife Department said they have no new leads or suspects in both the new cases.
Nevertheless, investigations are ongoing to identify the perpetrators.
The department's director, Augustine Tuuga, said the death of the elephant in Dumpas revealed no external injuries.
He said that they have taken blood samples to establish the cause of death while the second elephant might be a victim of poaching.
Wildlife officials were also probing the case of a green turtle found butchered on the shores of Pulau Bum Bum in Semporna which was highlighted in a Facebook posting on Wednesday.
At least nine dead turtles were seen in the photo uploaded on Facebook.
Tuuga said they were verifying the reports and carrying an investigation into the deaths.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2017/09/malaysia-two-more-pygmy-elephants-found.html
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Malaysia: Two more pygmy elephants found dead without tusks
KOTA KINABALU: Another two Borneo pygmy elephants were found dead without their tusks in eastern Sabah.
One of the carcasses of the elephants was located in a plantation near the Dumpas area on Sept 10 while the other was found floating along the Kinabatangan river close to the Danau Girang Field Research Centre a few days ago.
Sources said it was difficult to pinpoint the area where the second bull was killed before the carcass was dumped into the river.
Sabah has been faced with the threat of wildlife poaching, especially of its endangered elephants which numbers around 2,000 in forests in eastern Sabah.
Six pygmy elephants, including the unique sabre tusk jumbo, have been reported killed over the last six months.
The Sabah Wildlife Department said they have no new leads or suspects in both the new cases.
Nevertheless, investigations are ongoing to identify the perpetrators.
The department's director, Augustine Tuuga, said the death of the elephant in Dumpas revealed no external injuries.
He said that they have taken blood samples to establish the cause of death while the second elephant might be a victim of poaching.
Wildlife officials were also probing the case of a green turtle found butchered on the shores of Pulau Bum Bum in Semporna which was highlighted in a Facebook posting on Wednesday.
At least nine dead turtles were seen in the photo uploaded on Facebook.
Tuuga said they were verifying the reports and carrying an investigation into the deaths.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2017/09/malaysia-two-more-pygmy-elephants-found.html#.WfCD0tOCzIV
One of the carcasses of the elephants was located in a plantation near the Dumpas area on Sept 10 while the other was found floating along the Kinabatangan river close to the Danau Girang Field Research Centre a few days ago.
Sources said it was difficult to pinpoint the area where the second bull was killed before the carcass was dumped into the river.
Sabah has been faced with the threat of wildlife poaching, especially of its endangered elephants which numbers around 2,000 in forests in eastern Sabah.
Six pygmy elephants, including the unique sabre tusk jumbo, have been reported killed over the last six months.
The Sabah Wildlife Department said they have no new leads or suspects in both the new cases.
Nevertheless, investigations are ongoing to identify the perpetrators.
The department's director, Augustine Tuuga, said the death of the elephant in Dumpas revealed no external injuries.
He said that they have taken blood samples to establish the cause of death while the second elephant might be a victim of poaching.
Wildlife officials were also probing the case of a green turtle found butchered on the shores of Pulau Bum Bum in Semporna which was highlighted in a Facebook posting on Wednesday.
At least nine dead turtles were seen in the photo uploaded on Facebook.
Tuuga said they were verifying the reports and carrying an investigation into the deaths.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2017/09/malaysia-two-more-pygmy-elephants-found.html#.WfCD0tOCzIV
Plantations in Sabah losing millions because of elephants
KOTA KINABALU: Oil palm plantations are losing millions from damaged crops, sometimes spanning 30 hectares in total, when elephant herds raid the area, says the Sabah Wildlife Department.
Its director Augustine Tuuga told FMT that smallholders were hit the hardest as they could sometimes lose up to six hectares of crops in just one night.
“Elephant raids are a major problem for plantations in areas where elephants are found.
“These herds damage oil palm trees and eat the shoots, causing the companies to incur big losses,” he said, adding that Sabah Softwood Bhd for example, reported a loss of RM3 million a few years back.
He said that the problem of elephant raids had become so dire that most of the department’s ground staff were in Kg Gambaron in Telupid to deal with the issue, bringing to a virtual standstill, investigations into the recent case of suspected poaching in Kinabatangan.
The department estimated that there were only 2,000 Borneo pygmy elephants left in Sabah and although the number was considered acceptable to many, Tuuga said he was cautious about their survival rates if poaching continued unabated.
He conceded that most of the elephant poachers were locals, who killed the endangered animals mainly for their tusks.
“We found that these tusks were sold overseas but many also sold them to the Timorese who have a custom of offering elephant tusks as dowries.”
On Thursday, the department released a statement that it was investigating suspected poaching activities after an elephant carcass was found floating in the Kinabatangan River near Sg Koyah on Monday.
To read the full article, click on the story title
Its director Augustine Tuuga told FMT that smallholders were hit the hardest as they could sometimes lose up to six hectares of crops in just one night.
“Elephant raids are a major problem for plantations in areas where elephants are found.
“These herds damage oil palm trees and eat the shoots, causing the companies to incur big losses,” he said, adding that Sabah Softwood Bhd for example, reported a loss of RM3 million a few years back.
He said that the problem of elephant raids had become so dire that most of the department’s ground staff were in Kg Gambaron in Telupid to deal with the issue, bringing to a virtual standstill, investigations into the recent case of suspected poaching in Kinabatangan.
The department estimated that there were only 2,000 Borneo pygmy elephants left in Sabah and although the number was considered acceptable to many, Tuuga said he was cautious about their survival rates if poaching continued unabated.
He conceded that most of the elephant poachers were locals, who killed the endangered animals mainly for their tusks.
“We found that these tusks were sold overseas but many also sold them to the Timorese who have a custom of offering elephant tusks as dowries.”
On Thursday, the department released a statement that it was investigating suspected poaching activities after an elephant carcass was found floating in the Kinabatangan River near Sg Koyah on Monday.
To read the full article, click on the story title
Sunday, August 27, 2017
Elephant dies after being hit by tour bus in Malaysia
Some two months after an elephant calf was run over and killed, another pachyderm, this time, a 10-year-old bull, died after it was struck by a bus on the same stretch of the Gerik-Jeli Highway in Malaysia.
This is despite the many signboards put up to warn motorists about elephants and other wildlife crossing in the area.
The elephant was killed after it was hit by the tour bus early yesterday, as it was crossing at Kilometre 59 in Gerik.
Pictures of the carcass at the scene and the bus with its cracked windscreen and damaged front end were widely shared on social media, angering many animal lovers and conservationists.
Some asked how the driver had failed to spot such a large animal.
Gerik OCPD Supt Ismail Che Isa said the bus was driven by a 62-year-old man and that the incident occurred about 5km from the Titiwangsa rest stop.
"The bus was going down a slope and heading towards Gerik when the elephant suddenly came out of the forest. The driver told us he could not brake in time," he said.
He said the elephant fell over on impact and then got up and walked to the left side of the highway. It sat there for awhile and then died.
Supt Ismail said the elephant suffered lacerations on its head and back.
"The bus driver and his 33 passengers were not injured," he said, adding that the Perak Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) has been informed of the incident.
In June, a two-year-old elephant was crossing the highway and was killed when a car collided with it.
State Perhilitan director Loo Kean Seong said the area is an elephant habitat and that the animals are always roaming, no matter the time of day.
"So motorists must be careful and drive cautiously along that stretch. Please also do not speed," he said.
The carcass will be sent for a post-mortem and its tusks will be removed before burial.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/elephant-dies-after-being-hit-by-tour-bus-in-malaysia
This is despite the many signboards put up to warn motorists about elephants and other wildlife crossing in the area.
The elephant was killed after it was hit by the tour bus early yesterday, as it was crossing at Kilometre 59 in Gerik.
Pictures of the carcass at the scene and the bus with its cracked windscreen and damaged front end were widely shared on social media, angering many animal lovers and conservationists.
Some asked how the driver had failed to spot such a large animal.
Gerik OCPD Supt Ismail Che Isa said the bus was driven by a 62-year-old man and that the incident occurred about 5km from the Titiwangsa rest stop.
"The bus was going down a slope and heading towards Gerik when the elephant suddenly came out of the forest. The driver told us he could not brake in time," he said.
He said the elephant fell over on impact and then got up and walked to the left side of the highway. It sat there for awhile and then died.
Supt Ismail said the elephant suffered lacerations on its head and back.
"The bus driver and his 33 passengers were not injured," he said, adding that the Perak Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) has been informed of the incident.
In June, a two-year-old elephant was crossing the highway and was killed when a car collided with it.
State Perhilitan director Loo Kean Seong said the area is an elephant habitat and that the animals are always roaming, no matter the time of day.
"So motorists must be careful and drive cautiously along that stretch. Please also do not speed," he said.
The carcass will be sent for a post-mortem and its tusks will be removed before burial.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/elephant-dies-after-being-hit-by-tour-bus-in-malaysia
Wednesday, July 05, 2017
Baby elephant killed in highway accident
IPOH, Malaysia — A two-year-old elephant was found dead in a pool of blood by the roadside of the Gerik-Jeli Highway in Gerik, some 130 kilometers from here.
Perak Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) director Loo Kean Seong said state officers found the carcass at around 7 a.m. last Friday.
“While incidents like this do not happen often, we would like motorists to be extra careful when driving along this highway.
“We have already erected signboards to notify motorists that there would be elephant crossings along the stretch of the highway, so they need to be more responsible, especially when they are driving late at night or early in the morning,” said Loo.
Loo also urged motorists throughout the country to report to their respective state Perhilitan if they knocked into any endangered or protected species like elephants, tigers, tapirs or leopards.
This is so that we can at least investigate and bury the carcass instead of leaving it to rot at the roadside,” he added. Ecotourism and Conservation Society Malaysia (Ecomy) co-founder and chief executive officer Andrew Sebastian said the particular stretch of the highway itself should be viewed as a heritage road with potential for ecotourism.
In view of the wildlife viaducts and countless articles written about the Belum-Temengor forest complex, the road and its wildlife, he said motorists must be extra careful.
“This is to avoid accidents as well as to show courtesy, respect and adherence to wildlife laws that are meant to also protect our other protected users,” he added.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/906834/baby-elephant-killed-in-highway-accident
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