Malaysia: Poachers running rampant in Pahang's forests to kill elephants just for their tusks

KUANTAN: Lying on the ground is the carcass of an adult elephant with its head badly mutilated and bearing gunshot wounds while its tusks were hacked-off by poachers.

That is the stunning discovery made by Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) rangers near a forest reserve here late last year raising concerns about poaching syndicates making inroads into the state to gun-down the mammals for their tusks.

Fetching USD2,000 (RM8,100) a kilogram abroad, the ivory trade is widely considered as the most lucrative business making the elephants a prime target for poachers.

Forest clearing activities have exposed Pahang with an estimated population of between 300 and 400 Asian elephants to be among the target for the well-organised syndicates who are believed to have established links with a bigger poaching racket operating in neighbouring countries and around the region.

Among the hotspots identified as a favourite among elephant poachers here is the Endau Rompin National Park, Lesung reserve forest, Selancar, Cenderawasih, Bukit Ibam, Chemomoi, Kemasul, Jelai reserve forest, Kenong, Kechau, Som, Tekai, Bekelah, Ulu Lepar, Sungai Lembing and Bukit Sagu.

State Perhilitan director Ahmad Azhar Mohamed said the death of the adult male elephant last year was an eye-opener as the syndicates have began targeting the endangered pachyderm in the state which is covered with dense tropical forest.

He said investigations revealed, poachers armed with a gun will kill the elephant before using a chain saw to brutally cut off the tusks and leave the carcass to rot.

Ahmad Azhar said forest clearing activities has forced the mammals to find new areas as sources of food especially near settlements, which expose them to human-elephant conflict and a target for poachers.

“It makes it easier for poachers especially when the forest has access including logging trails...they might leave their vehicles near the forest perimeter and use a motorcycle to reach far into the jungle as they only bring along a gun and saw.

“Killing an elephant often happens by chance as the poachers might study the animals behavior and surrounding areas before striking.The target might be a lone adult elephant which may have strayed out of forests, its group or ventured a little too far in search of food,” he told NSTP.

He said the department also learnt that the poachers have hired “tonto” to keep a watch for the presence of Perhilitan enforcement officers and also provide details if they spotted elephants roaming in their settlements.

Meanwhile Ahmad Azhar said the poaching syndicates might have a wide network around the country including abroad and they are connected to the recent arrest in several other locations over the past few years.

“We are conducting investigations and it could be a matter of time before we track down the culprits. In 2017, a gang were arrested in Kelantan before another syndicate was caught in Perak early this year.

“They are certainly notorious and heavily armed prepared to brutally kill the animals just for the tusks. We have not noticed any other organs missing from the carcass found in Pahang,” he said.

He said the poachers mainly target elephants but are prepared to kill other endangered animals that comes their way as their aim is to only earn lucrative returns from selling the wildlife.

The tusks, which can fetch thousands of dollars overseas, could fetch between RM500 and RM2,000 a kilogramme on the black market locally.

Those charged under Section 68 of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716) for hunting or killing protected wildlife can be fined RM100,000 or jailed up to three years.

Rise in local elephant poaching rings alarm bells nationwide

AMIN RIDZUAN ISHAK, TN Alagesh New Straits Times 31 Aug 18;

KUANTAN: When it was reported that Malaysia has emerged as a major transit point for African ivory, many were shocked.

But the recent killings of elephants in the country have taken many by surprise.

A former Perhilitan ranger said that elephant poaching in Malaysia was almost unheard of in the past, but the significant price for Asian elephant ivory tusks has prompted some to engage in the illicit and immoral activity.

He said that although reported cases of poaching are rare, it remains unknown how syndicates operate and the precise locations of their activities in Peninsular and East Malaysia.

“(These people) are certainly not amateurs. They know their job and (who to sell the tusks to). It is not every week that you can find an elephant with tusks and kill it easily.... it only happens by chance.

“In the past, elephants were butchered in certain African countries and the tusks were smuggled into Asia, where they were turned into carved ornamental ivories.

“Malaysia has no domestic industry for ivory products, so the tusks (of Malaysian elephants) are sent abroad,” he said.

“Malaysia has no domestic industry for ivory products, so the tusks (of Malaysian elephants) are sent abroad.” Pix courtesy of Perhilitan

Meanwhile, state Perhilitan director Ahmad Azhar Mohamed urged the public to play a more significant role in helping to combat elephant poaching by providing tip-offs to Perhilitan.

“People must realise that when an elephant leaves a forest, it means that the mammal is facing a conflict, and poachers would often target the elephant. Do not wait until the elephant reaches a village to inform us.

“Please immediately alert us in case you spot elephants near plantations, as we will send our rangers to do the necessary. The Orang Asli community and various non-governmental organisations are also cooperating with us to ensure the elephants always remain in their habitat,” he said.

About elephants:

• All African elephants, both male and female, have tusks, whereas only some Asian males have tusks.

• Asian elephant tusks are named “gading jantung” and “gading rotan.”

• Gading jantung is solid and measures about 1m long, while gading rotan is hollow, measuring some 1.5m long

• Asian elephant tusks weigh between 10 and 15kg

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Sabah moots ‘killer instinct’ wildlife rangers to fight poachers

An elite team of 50 wildlife rangers equipped with firearms may be the answer to Sabah’s escalating poaching problem.

Sabah Forestry Department director Datuk Sam Mannan said today that authorities have mooted the idea of a specialised team of rangers who would be trained to look solely into wildlife protection aspects including data and intelligence collection and surveillance, criminal analysing and prosecution.

“They will be armed, and work on shifts. They won’t do anything but 24-hour surveillance. We will give them guns — we have about 95 guns — Glocks, Scorpion and Italian shotguns. It’s not necessarily to shoot people, more for warnings, but if thing get heated, they have to be able to protect themselves,” he said during his speech at the Borneo Banteng international workshop and conference here.

Mannan said the idea is still at the proposal stage, but added that the elite rangers would be under the Wildlife Enforcement Unit if accepted. He also said they are looking for funding.

“We will recruit people who have experience in this field.

“There will be a specially trained unit that have killer instincts. We are dealing with crooks and we have to play dirty too. No mercy-mercy business,” he said, adding that there would still have to work out a standard operating procedure for firing shots.

Danau Girang Field Centre director Benoit Goossens who was also present said such action was needed in light of the escalating threat againsts Sabah’s declining wildlife.

“We have to take such action because it is getting serious. There are people hawking exotic meat at five-star resorts, things like pangolin scales.

“This year alone we have had seven cases of poached elephants. In West Malaysia, the animals are being poached for their hide. It’s not here yet but we have to be ready and show them we mean business,” he said.

Goossens said that there was willingness by the state authorities to carry out this proposal and hoped that the idea would be able to increase the likelihood of catching poachers and bringing them to justice.

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Sabah moots ‘killer instinct’ wildlife rangers to fight poachers

An elite team of 50 wildlife rangers equipped with firearms may be the answer to Sabah’s escalating poaching problem.

Sabah Forestry Department director Datuk Sam Mannan said today that authorities have mooted the idea of a specialised team of rangers who would be trained to look solely into wildlife protection aspects including data and intelligence collection and surveillance, criminal analysing and prosecution.

“They will be armed, and work on shifts. They won’t do anything but 24-hour surveillance. We will give them guns — we have about 95 guns — Glocks, Scorpion and Italian shotguns. It’s not necessarily to shoot people, more for warnings, but if thing get heated, they have to be able to protect themselves,” he said during his speech at the Borneo Banteng international workshop and conference here.

Mannan said the idea is still at the proposal stage, but added that the elite rangers would be under the Wildlife Enforcement Unit if accepted. He also said they are looking for funding.

“We will recruit people who have experience in this field.

“There will be a specially trained unit that have killer instincts. We are dealing with crooks and we have to play dirty too. No mercy-mercy business,” he said, adding that there would still have to work out a standard operating procedure for firing shots.

Danau Girang Field Centre director Benoit Goossens who was also present said such action was needed in light of the escalating threat againsts Sabah’s declining wildlife.

“We have to take such action because it is getting serious. There are people hawking exotic meat at five-star resorts, things like pangolin scales.

“This year alone we have had seven cases of poached elephants. In West Malaysia, the animals are being poached for their hide. It’s not here yet but we have to be ready and show them we mean business,” he said.

Goossens said that there was willingness by the state authorities to carry out this proposal and hoped that the idea would be able to increase the likelihood of catching poachers and bringing them to justice.

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Malaysia embraces Melanie's work on the illegal wildlife trade

RESEARCH into how the law can be used to protect endangered species has led to a University of Huddersfield lecturer's expertise being harnessed by an overseas nation that has some of the world's most diverse and fascinating wildlife.

Melanie Flynn, who specialises in "green criminology", was commissioned to carry out research for the UK arm of the World Wildlife Fund, leading to a report on sentencing for illegal wildlife trade in England and Wales.

This led to her being put in touch with the WWF in Malaysia, a super-diverse country that is home to species that include tigers, elephants, the Sumatran rhinoceros and the orang-utan.

"The WWF were setting up a meeting with the judiciary in the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, where they have environmental courts to deal with wildlife crimes," said Mrs Flynn. "They flew me out as an expert adviser. I gave presentations and we ran some workshops. We got a commitment that the Malaysian judiciary would set up a committee to introduce sentencing guidelines for wildlife offences."

Progress has been slower in the UK, a country that is highly significant as a destination and a transit country for wildlife trafficking - claimed to be the world's fourth largest transnational illegal crime.
On behalf of the WWF, Mrs Flynn - who has degrees in both the law and criminology - produced a report on sentencing policy for wildlife trade offences in England and Wales. It was the result of a process that included an experts' workshop and interviews with CPS prosecutors.

The research examined 174 cases of illegal wildlife trade that resulted in convictions in courts of England and Wales and found that most cases resulted in non-custodial sentences and that fines were low - most of them being less than the value placed on the wildlife products that had been traded.
"Overall, sentencing was considered to be somewhat inconsistent as well as lenient when the high profits and significant harms of offending were taken into account. It was also found that there was little knowledge or experience of illegal wildlife trade or its impacts amongst criminal justice organisations... this was particularly the case for the magistracy and judiciary," states Melanie Flynn's report.

It was also found that wildlife crime was not always viewed as seriously as it ought to be and that there were limited resources available for tackling it. Mrs Flynn and the WWF therefore called on the Sentencing Council - which promotes greater consistency in sentencing - to draft guidelines. However, it remains resistant to the idea.

Although frustrated by this, Mrs Flynn continues to work with the WWF on wildlife crime, with her Malaysian connection being one result. Also, she was invited to contribute to the journal of the Magistrates' Association, and this has been important in raising awareness of the issues, she says.
In addition to her research on sentencing, Melanie Flynn - who has worked as a crime analyst and who has been a research fellow at the UCL Jill Dando Institute Crime Science Lab - is also working on preventative measures in the field of wildlife crime.

"My background is in situational crime prevention, which is about opportunity reduction on the ground. It is about altering the environment to reduce opportunities to offend, but it is also about removing the frustrations that individuals hold," said Mrs Flynn, who includes green criminology in one of the modules she teaches at the University of Huddersfield.

"Some of the killings of endangered species are in retaliation because crops have been trampled or livestock might have been attacked. Measures such as compensation schemes can remove the incentive to retaliate. But we also need to provide more legitimate opportunities for people involved in poaching. We are talking predominantly about countries where there is a lot of poverty and not a lot of opportunity."

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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.

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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.

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Malaysia: Sabah Officials Seek Tougher Laws Against Wildlife Poachers

Authorities in Malaysia’s Sabah state said Friday they would press for tougher wildlife laws to battle armed poachers after photos of carcasses of green turtles and Bornean Pygmy elephants were posted online and caught the attention of conservationists.

Sabah, on Borneo island, borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak and Indonesia’s Kalimantan province. It is also home to many endemic wildlife species, such as orangutan and rhinoceros.

Last month, villagers said they discovered the skeletal remains of about 100 green turtles scattered on the beaches on Bum-Bum Island near Semporna, a small town in Sabah. Residents also found two decomposed adult Bornean Pygmy elephants in different locations.

Masidi Manjun, Sabah’s environment and tourism minister, said his department was considering amending the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997, a regional law that aims to protect endangered species in Sabah by imposing severe penalties on poachers.

The amendment would give wildlife laws more bite by changing the way cases play out in court and placing the burden of proof on the accused to present evidence proving one’s innocence.

“With the amendment, it means the accused will have to prove he didn’t kill it [the endangered wildlife animal] because at this point of time, the prosecutors have to come up with evidence to prove a person is guilty and this is not easy,” Masidi told reporters.

Sabah’s Forestry Department said poaching in the state had reached “pandemic proportions” and armed poachers encountered at checkpoints were often masked “and willing and able to inflict harm” on forestry guards.

“Although Forestry Department staff are armed, this is purely for self-protection and they are reluctant to use their licensed firearms against the poachers,” the department said in a statement posted on the homepage of its website. “Besides that, it is to avoid a firefight with the poachers which may result in an ugly scene.”

“The seriousness of this menace needs a concerted effort in unison, starting with the prosecution of the known and big-time perpetrators,” the statement said.

Authorities have arrested and detained at least three people on suspicion of involvement in the multiple slaughter of protected turtles. Officials said poachers would often remove the turtle meat, eggs and soft under shell before leaving the bones and hard-top shell.

Two Indonesian men have also been detained to assist authorities in the killings of the two elephants, officials said.

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Sabah's jumbo-sized problem in translocating elephant herds

The Sabah Wildlife Department has been working closely with large plantation companies in handling human-elephant conflicts especially, in the east coast of the state.

Department director Augustine Tuuga said, unlike in Peninsular Malaysia where a herd of elephants were moved by trained elephants, the Sabah Wildlife Rescue unit had to use heavy machinery for translocation purposes.

“Those trained elephants are bought from Thailand and India, which require special care that involve higher costs.

“Besides that, (trainers) have to learn foreign languages to give commands to the elephants,” he told the New Straits Times.

Augustine said, however, the translocation method in Sabah involved an estimated cost of RM30,000 per animal.

The cost includes the heavy machinery, allowances for rescue personnel, as well as food for the herd, which can have about 20 or more elephants.

The translocation was made necessary when the “no killing” policy came into effect in 1996. Previously, the authorities had used “elephant bombs” to contain the species.

During the recent Sabah Elephant Film Festival 2017, which was held in conjunction with World Elephant Day, Augustine had said human and elephants here used to live together before the 1960s.

“The villagers in the east coast of Malaysia used to call the elephants as ‘nenek’ (granny) as a gesture of respect for the species.

“When forests were slowly converted into plantations, authorities began to receive reports of damages caused by elephants,” said the director, who had been dealing with wildlife for three decades.

He said at worst, about 100 elephants would gather at one location in one night and cause damages to several acres of plantations.

There had been reports that bees buzzing sounds or light bulbs may be able to ward elephants from getting near to plantations.

Augustine, however, said none of the methods had proven effective to date, as compared to electrical fencing, was can be afforded by big plantation companies and not smallholders.

Meanwhile, Wildlife Rescue Unit veterinarian Dr Laura Benedict said the team had encountered many incidents of elephant herds came too close to places with human population.

“There were incidents of elephants going under stilt houses, which required prompt response to translocate the animals.

“In cases where elephants had died, 32 per cent were poisoned and 16 per cent were suspected being poisoned,” she said, citing among others, the notorious incident where 14 pygmy elephants were killed in the Gunung Rara forest in 2013.

Based on a study by the Sabah Wildlife Department and World Wide Fund for Nature, there were 2,050 Borneo Pygmy elephants about 10 years ago.

There were also reports that elephants were being poached for their tusks, some of which are used as wedding dowry in Indonesia.

However, the recent killing of a female pygmy elephant with multiple gunshots in Kinabatangan remains a mystery as the animal has no tusk.

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Sabah minister decries wildlife poachers as ‘traitors’

Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said illegal wildlife traders willing to serve up the state’s animals for the exotic meat trade were betraying the country.

He said such people were not just abusing the state’s pride and blessings, but also contributing to wildlife extinction here.

“If there are Sabahans doing this, then they are traitors who are doing a great disservice to their own state and country,” he said.

He was commenting on reports that unscrupulous parties were serving exotic meat from creatures such as pangolins, which are believed to have medicinal to tourists, for a hefty profit.

Masidi said that Sabah was among the most privileged places in the world, and blessed with exotic and abundant flora and fauna that has become the state’s source of pride and resources.

“To do this to our wildlife shows that they are not patriotic and betraying their country and those who have worked so hard at conserving our natural treasures,” he said.

Sabah’s wildlife like pangolins, sun bears, rhinoceros, elephants and orangutan have been under heavy pressure from human wildlife conflict like development, hunting, and the illegal pet trade.

Most recently, Indonesian authorities seized a 2.7kg elephant tusk from an Indonesian migrant worker travelling from Tawau to Kalimantan at the Nunukan port last week in the second similar case this year.

Conservationists fear that the tusks belong to Sabah’s Bornean Pygmy Elephants, a rare and endangered species of elephants that is struggling to maintain its habitat among Sabah’s rapid growth rate and plantation industries.

The carrier of the tusks claimed that they were bought for RM1,500 from a seller in Kota Kinabalu and was being taken to his hometown in Kalimantan for a traditional ceremony as a dowry.

“I’ve actually heard of this custom, from Timorese people. Some women told me they came here to work and raise money for their brother’s dowry of an elephant’s tusk. So this could be true. But it could also be used for other purposes. The fact is we cannot be sure of anything unless we actually catch them red-handed,” he said.

Masidi said that the government was concerned over the recent incident and raised questions about the tusk’s origins.

“But it has never been established that it was from here. We know it is probable, but we need to prove it,” he said adding that he has instructed his department to meet their counterparts in Indonesia to investigate the matter and obtain DNA samples of the tusk.

“If it is true that the tusks from here, we’ll obviously need to increase our border security and figure out how they got pass Malaysian checkpoints,” he said.


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2 rare elephant species killed for ivory in Central Sabah

Sabre and another large bull are killed by poachers for ivory, with both carcasses found 1,500m from each other, says authorities.

LAHAD DATU: Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) and Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU) teams are deeply saddened by the killing of two wild bull elephants by poachers near Segama River, Kawag Forest Reserve.

A first bull was found on Dec 27 last year in the middle of an estate bordering Kawag Forest Reserve while the second bull, was a gorgeous sabre-tusked bull called Sabre, that was earlier rescued from a plantation near Tawau and translocated to Kawag Forest Reserve three months ago after being collared by DGFC and WRU.

“We found the remains of Sabre on New Year’s Eve, with the satellite collar next to the skull,” said DGFC Director Benoit Goossens in a statement, today.

He said Sabre was rescued from a plantation near Tawau early October last year and fitted with a satellite collar and released into a forest reserve near Danum where he thought the animal would be safe.

“We were obviously wrong. In the space of a month, Sabre and another large bull were killed by poachers for ivory, both carcasess were found 1,500m from each other, although the killings did not happen at the same time,” said Goossens.

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Taking down of elephant hunting syndicate hailed

The Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (Mycat) congratulates the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia (DWNP) and the Malaysian Armed Forces for taking down one of Malaysia’s most wanted elephant hunting syndicates.

The joint effort, under the joint 1Malaysia Biodiversity Enforcement Operation Network (1MBEON), saw the arrest of seven locals in Kelantan and the confiscation of many weapons, including firearms, explosives and ammunition for shotguns and high-powered rifles. Also seized were wildlife parts, including tiger teeth and dried elephant meat.

Known for targeting elephants, gaur, serow and sambar in Kelantan, Terengganu and Perak, the group is allegedly responsible for at least 15 dead elephants poached for their ivory between 2013 and 2016. Chainsaws believed to have been used to remove tusks from the elephants were also confiscated.

“This case tells us that poachers have access to serious firepower and that they are becoming increasingly well organised. We hope the Royal Malaysian Police will assist DWNP in bringing these criminals to justice,” said Dr Chris R Shepherd, regional director of Traffic in South-East Asia.

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Tusks seized in Kalimantan may have come from two dead Jumbos in Sabah

As often, science can come to the rescue. This time for determining whether pygmy elephant tusks seized a few days ago in North Kalimantan, Indonesia, belonged to two male pachyderms that were recently killed in Sabah.

Indonesian officials stopped a woman who was carrying five elephant tusks in Nunukan in North Kalimantan last week, and Malaysian officials suspect that at least some of those tusks might have come from the two elephants that were found dead in Sabah in late December last year. One of the elephants, nicknamed “Sabre,” made headlines worldwide just a few moths prior for its tusks, which had been growing backward in a downward arc.

Malaysian officials now want to have DNA tests conducted on the tusks seized in Indonesia to see if the tusks had come from Sabre and the other male pygmy elephant killed recently in Sabah. “So far, we don’t know exactly where the tusks could have come from,” said Augustine Tuuga, director of Sabah’s Wildlife Department. “It can only be ascertained when the Indonesian wildlife authorities had taken a statement from the person or conduct a DNA analysis to compare them with the specimens of animals killed in Sabah,” he added.

The wanton murder of the two endangered animals has enraged conservationists and animal lovers far and wide, especially since both were killed within a protected area in Kinabatangan. The two elephants were found 1.5 kilometers apart, both with bullet holes in their skulls, indicating that both animals had likely been killed by the same poacher or poachers. The state’s Wildlife Department offered a RM10,000 reward to anyone who could assist officials in tracking down those involved in the elephants’ death.

Over the past years and decades, the number of Malaysia’s pygmy elephants has dropped precipitously, exposing the tuskers to the threat of extinction in the wild. The pachyderms have seen large parts of their ancestral habitats lost forever or else badly fragmented as vast swathes of forest have been cut down by loggers and palm oil cultivators.

Elephants need ample space for roaming far and wide as they forage for food. Because of the loss of their natural habitats, however, they have ended up coming into increasing contact with humans who have been encroaching on their habitats. This has increased the risk of conflicts between elephants and people. Sadly, poachers, too, have been gaining easer access to wild elephants owing to the relentless shriveling up of forests.

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Smallest elephants of the world being brutally killed

KUALALAMPUR: (Web Desk) – The elephants in Malaysia’s Boreno island are considered the smallest kind of the specie due to their small size. According to one estimate, these elephants took around 30,000 years to come into their current form.

According to foreign media reports, these elephants are generally hunted less compared to the African cousins but still the greed for ivory threatens these elephants to extinction. The cutting down of the jungles is also leaving these elephants with lesser and lesser space to live in. According to an estimate, only 1500 to 2000 of these elephants survive today.

According to zoologists, the hunting of elephants in Boreno island wasn’t considered a major issue previously but the recent developments show that the professional hunters are hunting down these animals to extract ivory.

On the other hand, Wildlife Conservation Society’s Vice President Elizabeth Bennet expressed great grief over the situation, saying that the killing of these small elephants was gruesome, especially when the world is finally rising up to save the African elephant and the efforts to close down ivory markets are at their peak.

She said that the remaining elephants could only be saved through strong action against those involved in heinous crimes against them and such markets are closed down.

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24 tons of ivory seized in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur -

Malaysian customs have seized 24 tons of unprocessed elephant tusks worth almost $20 million, the largest haul in the country to date, officials said on Tuesday.

About 1 500 tusks hidden in two containers were discovered by customs officials at the country's main port of Klang, in the western state of Selangor.

The tusks had been hidden within pieces of timber inside the containers, which had originated from the west African nation of Togo.

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