KOTA KINABALU: Researchers say the best way to determine an elephant's ideal diet is by studying its dung.
A study by the Community Elephant Ranger Team (CERT) led to the discovery of several fruits suitable for an elephant's diet, leading to the launch of a fruit tree planting exercise, dubbed the Integrated Forest Garden Project.
Part of CERT's Human-Elephant Harmony Project, it was recently launched in the Tawai Forest Reserve, a protected area in Telupid, to create a sustainable food source for elephants.
"The project aims to create a sustainable food supply for elephants while fostering coexistence between humans and wildlife,” CERT coordinator Alvein Dee Albenus said in a statement on Thursday (Dec 5).
Over 200 fruit trees were planted including durian, rambutan, tarap (marang), mango, bambangan and guava, as well as napier grass.
Albenus added that these species were carefully selected based on studies of seeds found in elephant dung.
The seedlings, cultivated by CERT and donated by project participants, are expected to establish a long-term food supply for elephants in the reserve.
Albenus said food shortages often drive the elephants to encroach upon human settlements and plantations.
Beyond ensuring food availability, the project also seeks to raise awareness about the importance of protecting these endangered animals and engage local communities in conservation efforts.
CERT is now looking to collaborate on the domestic and international level to secure the survival of Bornean elephants, while safeguarding the livelihoods of local communities.
The elephants, a distinct subspecies of the Asian elephant, have been classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
Primarily found in Sabah, with a small population in Indonesia’s Kalimantan, the elephants, also known as pygmy elephants, are estimated to number just 1,000, including 400 breeding adults.
The Forest Garden programme in Telupid attracted over 100 participants, including government employees, NGOs such as Bestaria Eco Tourism Komura, JCI Moyog and Bora, as well as students and teachers from several schools, including SK Kopuron, SK Mengkawago, SK Pekan Telupid, SMK Telupid and SMK Penangah.
Villagers from Kampung Liningkung, Kg Bauto, Kg Gambaron and Kg Telupid also took part, along with this year's Telupid Unduk Ngadau winner Queency Isabelle Ladzrus.
Telupid district forestry officer Elrimeo Emin stressed the importance of ongoing care for the Forest Garden trees.
CERT, Angels United and the Telupid District Youth Council have pledged to monitor and maintain the trees, welcoming additional support from all parties.
The programme was a joint effort involving Angels United, the youth council, the district Forestry Office, the Sandakan Wildlife Department, and the Telupid Tongod police station.
