Highway through Tawai reserve will only make elephant poaching easier, say green groups


KOTA KINABALU: Conservationists have renewed calls for a stop for the proposed Pan Borneo Highway stretch that cuts through the Tawai Forest Reserve in Telupid after last week's brutal beheading of a Borneo pygmy elephant.

The Humans Habitats Highways (3H) Coalition said the highway construction through Tawai must be halted and priority given to the protection of elephant habitats.

The group of 13 NGOs said the government must realign the route that cuts through Tawai, one of the few remaining wilderness habitats for elephants.

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The coalition's biggest fear is that the road could fuel a resurgence in poaching that would threaten the survival of the vulnerable animals.

It said in a statement on Sunday (Jan 26) that as elephant populations continue to decline because of poaching, habitat loss and other threats, building roads through their remaining habitats could be a critical blow to their survival.

It said the ensuing wave of poaching could damage the elephant population for generations, and cited the recent beheading – along the Kalabakan road in southern Tawau district – as an example of what could happen when the highway passes through the Class 1 Forest Reserve which houses a large concentration of elephants.

The proposed stretch would give poachers easier access to a previously remote elephant population, facilitating poaching and the illegal transport of ivory, 3H added.

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According to Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) director Professor Benoit Goossens, roads built through elephant habitats directly contribute to increased poaching.

“When poachers gain access to these previously protected areas, the impact is devastating.

"Elephants, already facing multiple threats, will be even more vulnerable to (hunting).

"This road could tip the balance and push the Telupid population to the brink of extinction,” Goossens said, adding that road accidents were another potential threat to the animals.

The coalition noted that the Sabah Wildlife Department has implemented stronger measures to combat poaching, including increased patrols, forming an intelligence unit, and tighter enforcement of wildlife protection laws.

"Building a road through a protected forest full of elephants would add many more constraints to an already daunting task.

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“We must recognise that the fight against elephant poaching is not just about stopping illegal hunting, it’s about preventing the conditions that allow poaching to thrive.

"Roads are a catalyst for this illegal activity, and we cannot ignore the direct link between infrastructure development and the increase in poaching,” said Goossens.

The coalition said realigning the road would incur additional costs, but so would added wildlife protection measures, such as wildlife corridors and crossings, once it is open.

The coalitioon comprises LEAP Spiral, Forever Sabah, DGFC, WWF Malaysia, Borneo Futures, Seratu Aatai, Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, Jaringan Orang Asli Sabah, Pacos Trust, SAVE Rivers Network, 1StopBorneo Wildlife and Sabah Bird Watchers Association.

The Sabah government has decided to go ahead with the Pan Borneo Highway project cutting through the biodiversity-rich Tawai Forest Reserve in the central Telupid district.

In November 2023, Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Shahelmey Yahya said the state Cabinet had decided to go ahead with a road through the forest reserve under Package 31 of the highway involving a 20.5km stretch from Sungai Baoto to Telupid.

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