SANDAKAN – A herd of more than 100 elephants damaged the building of the Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) facility in Kinabatangan last night when they passed by the premises.
The DGFC posted pictures on its Facebook page of the damage caused by the animals but said no one was harmed by the incident.
The stairs outside of the building and a water tank were damaged.
However, DGFC director Benoit Goossens told The Vibes that the aforementioned elephants come by a few times a year as the centre is in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary.
“This is not an issue. It happens. We just live with it. They (elephants) come to our place two to three times a year. They use it as a playground, and we are fine with it.
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“(After all) we live in their home. We are in their forest.”
He added that the Facebook images are only aimed at updating the public about the presence of the herd in the area and not intended to blame the elephants.
The DGFC is a collaborative research and training facility owned by the Sabah Wildlife Department and is co-managed with Cardiff University. – The Vibes, July 10, 2022