LAHAD DATU – Sabah has lost another endangered pygmy elephant due to suspected poisoning.
The adult male, believed to be between the ages of five and seven, was found by Felda Sahabat 1 estate workers in Lahad Datu on Friday morning.
The workers informed the estate manager, prior to reporting the incident to the Sabah Wildlife Department.
Lahad Datu Wildlife Department officer Silvester Saimin confirmed the report, saying that a team of wildlife personnel had been sent to the location for early inspection.
“We found that the elephant was about 5 to 7 years old. So far, we have yet to find any wounds on the body.
Since 2010, 145 cases of elephant deaths have been recorded in Sabah due to poaching, revenge killing and poisoning, as well as accidents, illnesses and other unknown reasons.
State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin was quoted in the Borneo Post as saying that the elephant was believed to have died about three days ago based on information from the Sabah Wildlife Department.
He said external examination found that the carcass did not have any wounds.
However, there was blood on the trunk, mouth and anus and it had an inflamed rectum with mild prolapse as well as a moderate to severely decomposed tongue, he said.
Jafry said postmortem results found that all organs were in a moderate to severely decomposed state.
“The preliminary cause of death is due to respiratory failure as a result of various reasons and triggers following toxicity, which means suspected poisoning,” he said.
Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said although initial investigations show the elephant died due to poisoning, they are unsure whether this was deliberate or accidental.
“Elephants wander in search of food and sometimes consume toxic materials accidentally,” said Tuuga, adding that investigations were ongoing. – The Vibes, July 18, 2021
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