Another jumbo rescued from snare

Help is here: Sabah Wildlife Department veterinarians and rangers treating a male elephant that suffered injuries to its leg when it stepped on a poacher’s trap in Lahad Datu.

KOTA KINABALU: Another Borneo Pygmy elephant was rescued from a trap in east coast Sabah as the endangered jumbos in the state continue to face threats of extinction.

Sabah Wildlife Department rangers rescued a young male elephant aged between seven to nine years that suffered an injury to its front right leg due to a snare in Taliwas area in Lahad Datu late Tuesday.

The department’s public relations officer Siti Nurain Ampuan Acheh said the snare caused a 2-inch deep wound on the leg and was infested with maggots at the area of the knot.

She said with initial treatment the elephant showed signs of healing but the veterinarians treating it remained guarded about its 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

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 found floating in the Kinabatangan river near Pangi Forest Reserve on Aug 13, Siti Nurain said no external injuries were found and preliminary findings showed that the jumbo suffered from ulcerative gastritis that led to severe loss of blood in its gastrointestines.

“The cause of ulcerative gastritis can be of infectious or non-infectious 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.