KOTA KINABALU – Husbandry procedures at the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park must be reviewed to ensure the safety of the animals and their handlers, after a ranger died from an attack by a Borneo pygmy elephant on Christmas Day.
Danau Girang Field Centre director Benoit Goosens told The Vibes there is always risk involved with keeping wild animals in captivity, noting such incidents happen even in the best zoos in other countries.
“There is a need to assess the safety of the keepers and the animals,” he said, adding that putting down the animals should never be considered as an option.
“For me, elephants belong in the forest… Hopefully, the Bornean Elephant Sanctuary in Kinabatangan could be a place to care for these orphan animals that can’t be released into the wild.”
There are eight elephants in the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park – mostly orphans and rescued elephants found wandering in the wild before being relocated to the facility.
The elephants were not released into the wild because the experts believed they would not be able to survive.
Meanwhile, the Kinabatangan-Corridor of Life Tourism Operator Association president Alexander Yee questioned if the SOPs at the facility have improved since it came under scrutiny in 2014.
“I am curious to know what the current condition of the park is after it was highlighted in the media several years ago.”
The conditions of the park came under scrutiny after Upreshpal Singh, a director of Friends of Orangutans, claimed that the elephants were in chains, and were used for rides.
Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Arifin was reported as saying that the case in Lok Kawi was an unfortunate incident, adding that the wildlife park had SOPs relating to animal welfare.
Two days ago, the 49-year-old wildlife ranger named Joe Fred Lansou was gored three times in the abdomen while treating an injured calf around 8am at the park.
Penampang police have classified the incident as sudden death.
For now, the authorities have yet to unveil an action plan following the incident. – The Vibes, December 27, 2022
