The captured elephant in Lahad Datu.
KOTA KINABALU: A pygmy elephant that had wandered into a school compound in Lahad Datu district recently has been captured.
The male adult elephant was trapped on Tuesday, a day after it was seen wandering on its own, causing concern among the public.
Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said the elephant will soon be translocated to the Tabin Wildlife Reserve, more than 40km from where it was captured. There, they hope to unite the elephant with its herd so that they can roam freely. He said the elephant did not harm anyone during these two days.
“It was actually more scared and confused with what was going on actually,” he added.
Tuuga said reports of elephants wandering into residential and agricultural areas are normal as many of these elephants would travel far in search for food and shelter. He urged villagers, farmers and estate operators to contact wildlife officials immediately if they see these mammals nearby. Tuuga also reminded them not to harm or kill these creatures.
Pygmy elephants are critically endangered in Sabah, with many of them falling prey to poachers, traps, suspected poisoning, or becoming victims of human-animal conflicts over the years. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia, there are no more than 1,000 to 1,500 individuals in Sabah, including the Central Sabah elephant range.
