Bull elephant injures couple having breakfast

KOTA KINABALU: A couple was injured in an attack by a lone bull elephant at the Brumas timber plantation in Sabah’s east coast Tawau district.

Indonesian Susi Sudiman, 36, who was stomped on during the attack, remains in critical condition at the Tawau district hospital from serious spinal injury as well as rib fractures.

Her husband Santoko Santra, 40, was slightly injured in the chest after being hit by the elephant’s trunk during the incident that had taken place just as the couple were having breakfast at their work site with five other workers at 6.15am on Wednesday.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said yesterday they had yet to get full details of the incident and could not immediately ascertain if the workers were attacked without provocation.

“Witnesses told us that they were having breakfast when the elephant attacked,” he said.

Tuuga said rangers were now tracking down the bull elephant, which might be travelling with a herd.

“My men have spotted some elephant tracks. We believe we will close in on the bull elephant and its herd,” he said.

However, he said no decision had been made to translocate the elephants or shoo the animals into the Gunung Rara forest reserve.

Tuuga said the forest reserve was some distance away from the Brumas plantation area, and translocating the animals to other reserves might be an alternative.

It is still not clear if the elephant was in musk (when bulls become more aggressive due to higher testosterone levels during the mating period) when it attacked the couple or was startled by the sudden presence of the workers.

Endangered Borneo Pygmy elephants are usually seen in the plantation but this has not hindered workers from carrying out their work.