SANDAKAN – Over 30 wild boars have mysteriously wound up dead in the interior regions of Kinabatangan, Sugut and Paitan in eastern Sabah recently, and the authorities are both concerned and in the dark as to why this is happening.
The Sabah Wildlife Department’s veterinary unit is investigating the cause behind the deaths of 34 wild boars in the three districts discovered in the last eight days. Of these, 29 were found dead in Kinabatangan, and five in Sugut and Paitan, from January 28 to February 4 this year.
Department director Augustine Tugaa advised the public not to buy or consume wild boar meat until the cause of the deaths can be determined.
He said wild boar meat should not be available for sale in the first place as the movement control order (MCO) prohibits hunting, and the department has not issued any hunting licence during the order period.
“We advise people not to hunt; not only is it against the law (now), it may be harmful to the people if the wild boars are found to be infected with a disease,” he said.
He also asked for the people not to go near the carcass of any wild boar if they see one, and to instead contact the department immediately at 012-8019289.
Tugaa added that the department will monitor for any new cases of wild boar deaths in Sabah.
Today, a post on the discovery of a large number of wild boar carcasses was widely circulated on social media platforms, including Facebook and WhatsApp.
It was claimed that 30 to 60 wild boars were found dead due to unknown reasons in Kinabatangan, Sugut, and Beluran.
Last month, two Borneo pygmy elephants were found dead, also in Kinabatangan. – The Vibes, February 4, 2021
