Basis Bay funds satellite tracking of elephants

BASIS Bay, a leading global provider of sustainable outsourcing solutions for the information technology industry, is partnering with WWF-Malaysia (WWFM) to save the endangered Borneo pygmy elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis) as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts.

On Oct 4, Basis Bay Sdn Bhd announced its sponsorship of WWFM’s elephant conservation work in Sabah by funding two satellite tracking collars as well as its associated hardware and software to a tune of RM50,000.

“We hope that our commitment in this conservation effort will set an example to many other private organisations to step up and contribute to the well-being of our environment,” said Basis Bay chief executive officer Datuk Praba Thiagarajah.

“At Basis Bay, we believe in the importance of a balance between the triple bottom line of people, planet, profit. And this latest joint initiative with WWFM exemplifies our commitment towards ‘Sustainability of the Planet’,” he said.

According to WWFM executive director and chief executive officer Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma, data obtained from the animals’ movements will support better planning of land use to reduce future human and elephant conflicts in Sabah.

“The timing of this collaboration is indeed very appropriate. Collectively, we see some very challenging times ahead of us due to the escalating environmental problems. What we are seeing at the present time – and in the not too distant future – require our understanding and immediate attention,” said Dionysius, who added that threats to the elephants include logging, infrastructure development, illegal hunting, forest fragmentation, and forest fires.

The Borneo pygmy elephant is now a seriously endangered species; numbering only between 1,200 to 3,600 individuals.

In 2005, WWFM attached satellite collars to five pygmy elephants from different herds in Sabah, described as part of the first scientific research ever conducted on this little-understood population.

Since then, more forest fragmentation had taken place, and there is a crucial need to find out where the animals are moving so that land use planning can be fine-tuned for an optimal outcome for all parties.

“We hope to get more funding so that more elephants can be tracked and this project can be quickly completed,” said Dionysius.

On his part, Praba hopes to see the population of these elephants improve to a healthy level, and said that it is prepared to collaborated not just with WWFM, but also with relevant authorities and organisations that are working towards a sustainable planet.