Police: Pygmy elephant killed by plantation guards, not poachers

Policemen with the tusks sawn off the elephant that was found dead with about 70 bullet wounds. Investigations revealed that the culprits were plantation guards.

KOTA KINABALU: It was not the doing of poachers after all – two plantation guards engaged to keep wildlife away from company grounds turned their weapons on a Borneo pygmy elephant and sawed off its tusks.

These are the initial findings of the police after they arrested six suspects – including the two guards – in a series of arrests since 12.40am Wednesday (Oct 2) around Kalabakan in Sabah's south-western Tawau district.