KOTA KINABALU: A weak and dehydrated young female Borneo pygmy elephant was rescued in an oil palm plantation on Sabah’s east coast amidst renewed calls by a wildlife expert for the creation of forest corridors.
State Wildlife Department director Laurentius Ambu said its personnel were alerted by Malaysian Palm Oil Board staff about the two-year-old elephant trapped in a moat within the Lahad Datu plantation.
He said the elephant appeared to have been left behind by its herd, likely from the Tabin Wildlife Sanctuary in the district.
Safe now: Wildlife Department personnel calming the six-month old female elephant calf upon its arrival at the Wildlife Park in Lok Kawi near Kota Kinabalu recently.
The find of the pachyderm on Friday came barely two weeks after another six-month-old female elephant was rescued from Ladang Felcra/KTS, also in the Lahad Datu district.
Laurentius said both elephants were being transferred to the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park about 15km from the city for observation.
He said the department personnel had also fitted a tracking collar on an adult female elephant in the Lower Kinabatangan region on the east coast.
This would enable wildlife experts to track the animal’s movements to enable them to better map out a forest corridor for the animals.
NGO Hutan Elephant Conser-vation scientific director Dr Marc Ancrenaz said forest corridors were urgently needed to link the isolated elephant population currently trapped in the lower Kinabatangan flood plains area.
“Due to increased human activity and extensive oil palm plantations, the herds in Kinabatangan are completely disconnected from the elephant population in the forest reserves of Segaliud, Tangkulap and Deramakot,” he said.
Source : The Star Online
Date : Tuesday June 8, 2010
Rare Borneo pygmy elephant dies after 2-week struggle
KOTA KINABALU: An endangered Borneo pygmy elephant lost its struggle for survival after it was rescued two weeks ago.“She had perforated ulcers in the intestines. It was a tough fight for survival,” Wildlife Department chief senior field veterinarian Dr Sen Nathan said Friday.
The orphaned two-year-old female calf died of severe internal bleeding at the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park here on Wednesday.
On June 4, the wildlife rescue unit rescued the highly dehydrated pygmy elephant from a moat at an oil palm plantation in Lahad Datu.
The calf, which appeared to have been abandoned for a few days, was taken to the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park here, but failed to respond to treatment.
It was one of two young elephants rescued by wildlife personnel in the last four weeks.
In mid May, wildlife personnel rescued a six-month-old female calf from Ladang Felcra/KTS, also in the Lahad Datu district.
Dr Nathan said the other rescued calf, which the department personnel had named Huminidon, was recovering well.
“It is gaining weight,” he added.
Source : The Star Online
Date : Friday June 18, 2010
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