KOTA KINABALU: It’s been days since the inhumane killing and mutilation of an endangered Borneo pygmy elephant near Maliau Basin and state authorities are still working hard to uncover the truth about the upsetting incident.
Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Christina Liew said while investigators had yet to identify the suspects, they were working round the clock to get to the bottom of it.
“Give us time to come up with some answers, as the incident happened only a few days ago.
“Once we have identified the murderer, we will take action. I am very upset by this.
“Who did it? Was it a worker? A passer-by? Boss of a plantation? We don’t know, but trust me, we will not hesitate to take action. It is very inhumane,” said Liew.
The state, she added, is stepping up efforts to protect elephants and various species, and yet there were still those who committed terrible acts like beheading a protected elephant.
“I want to warn these people not to repeat this or they will face stern action,” she told reporters after the launch of Tourism Insights Day 2025 here yesterday.
On Sunday, an elephant was found brutally killed outside a plantation area about 25km from Maliau Basin along the Kalabakan road in Tawau.
A passing motorist spotted the decapitated animal and informed the Wildlife Department.
On this note, Liew said the launch of the elephant food corridor in Kalabakan recently is one way to minimise human-animal conflicts in Sabah, including in plantations.
She said she hopes that with this and other planned moves, as well as ongoing related projects, the conservation and protection of wildlife can be enhanced.
