Pygmy elephant herd driven back into forest after straying into plantation

KOTA KINABALU: Efforts are underway to drive back a herd of about 40 Borneo pygmy elephants into a forest reserve after they encroached into a plantation in Sabah's east coast area of Ulu Segama in Lahad Datu.

A six-member team of rangers has moved them back into the forests to ensure the elephants are not hurt, as well as to minimise damages to the plantations they trespassed into on Thursday (Oct 4).

State Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga is monitoring the operations to make sure that the elephants are unharmed and returned to the Ulu Segama forest area.

The elephants are believed to have entered the Transkina Plantation early Thursday while foraging for food, with the authorities alerted on the matter shortly afterwards.

"The forest rangers are following their trail. This is to prevent any shooting of the elephants," said Deputy Chief Minister Christina Liew, who also is state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister.

Liew said she was being regularly updated on the elephant encroachment.

"The rangers under Wildlife are trying their best to protect these elephants," she added.

This year alone, some 25 Borneo pygmy elephants have died due to various causes, including human-elephant conflict and poaching.

Pygmy elephants number around 1,500 to 2,000 in the Sabah and are totally protected.