KOTA KINABALU: All palm oil plantations within the range of elephant herds must cooperate with the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) in order to avoid elephant deaths as a result of possible poisoning.
Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew, said in a statement here today, said cooperation is vital so that elephant deaths as a result of possible poisoning can be greatly reduced or even avoided.
“I am extremely saddened by the latest elephant death, which is the sixth recorded this year. I appeal to all oil palm plantations in Sabah experiencing elephant entry (into their land) to take every step to avoid using any chemical that can cause grievous harm to elephants.
“There is an urgent need to really stop the death of elephants caused by possible poisoning from continuing,“ she said.
Liew, who is also State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, said the ministry understood that plantations experiencing frequent entry of elephants were already adopting the principle of harmonious co-existence with elephants by allowing free movement of elephants into their plantations.
She said this was in accordance with the recommendation outlined in the Elephant Action Plan 2020-2029.
“I really appreciate such cooperation in line with the state’s conservation efforts and to enable the elephants to move freely within their home range,“ Liew added.
However, Liew asserted that more could be done to considerably reduce the the number of elephant deaths by making sure that the elephants do not accidentally consume any hazardous materials when foraging within the plantations.
She was referring to a female Bornean pygmy elephant estimated to be between five and 10 years old which was found dead at Ladang KUB (Kesatuan Usaha Bersatu) near the Malua Forest Reserve in Lahad Datu on April 8.
According to her, no external injuries were found in the elephant and poisoning is suspected to be the cause of death, although a toxicology test is yet to be conducted on samples taken from its internal organs. - Bernama
