Injured Borneo Pygmy elephant rescued in Lahad Datu

KOTA KINABALU: Another Borneo Pygmy elephant has been rescued from a poacher’s trap in the east coast of Sabah as endangered jumbos in the state continue to face threat of extinction.  

Sabah Wildlife Department rangers rescued a young male elephant, aged between seven and nine years, that suffered an injury on its front right leg due to a snare in the Taliwas area of Lahad Datu late Tuesday (Aug 14).  

The department’s public relations officer Siti Nurain Ampuan Acheh said the snare caused a two-inch deep wound on the leg and it was infested with maggots.  

She said with the initial treatment, there were signs of healing. However, the veterinarians treating it remained guarded about the elephant's full recovery.  

“General treatment has been given to the elephant and topical wound management will continue. Its general condition such as hydration and appetite will be observed as the injury still needs time to fully heal,” she said on Thursday.  

The elephant will be transferred to the Borneo Elephant Sanctuary for further treatment and observation.  

On the post-mortem results conducted on the male elephant aged about two to three that was found floating in the Kinabatangan river near Pangi Forest Reserve on Aug 13, Siti Nurain said that no external injuries were found.  

She said preliminary findings discovered that the jumbo suffered from ulcerative gastritis, which led to severe loss of blood in its gastrointestinal.  

“The cause of ulcerative gastritis can be infectious or non-infectious in origin,” she said, adding that samples of vital internal organs were taken for toxicology and bacteriology analysis.  

Confirmation on the cause of death could only be ascertained when results of the analysis of the samples were obtained, she added.  

Since April this year, some 18 elephants rescued have died from various reasons including poachers' traps.