KOTA KINABALU – The Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry will be engaging the Sabah Wildlife Department to determine the causes behind the deaths of the state’s endangered pygmy elephants.
Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin said it will focus on cases where the animals were found dead near or inside plantations.
“Elephants are under the state’s purview (not the ministry). But we will engage with them to determine the cause of death and study the incidents before taking action,” she told reporters after attending a Malaysian Cocoa Board award ceremony here last night.
Recently, an elephant calf died after its right foot was amputated following an injury caused by a snare trap.
The calf, which was close to 2-years-old, was found wandering in the Felda Sahabat 5 palm oil plantation in Tungku, Lahad Datu last Sunday.
Zuraida said most elephant deaths happened in and near plantations.
The Vibes has reported that a total of 176 deaths were recorded between 2010 and 2020, while 80 cases were reported in 2018-2020 – 2018 (32 cases), 2019 (25 cases) and 2020 (23 cases).
Former wildlife rescue manager Sen Nathan had said most of these cases took place in palm oil plantations or areas close to forest reserves.
A local news report suggested that the deaths had been caused by poaching, revenge killing and poisoning, as well as accidents and unknown reasons. – The Vibes, June 23, 2022
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