KOTA KINABALU: In a grim echo of a similar incident earlier this year, another Borneo pygmy elephant has been found brutally killed in the Tawau region—its decapitated carcass left to rot in Tibow.
The discovery, eerily reminiscent of a case reported in January along the nearby Kalabakan-Sapulut road, has raised alarms of organised poaching targeting one of Sabah’s most iconic and endangered species.
Sabah Wildlife Department director Mohd Soffian Abu Bakar confirmed the latest find, revealing that a report was received two days ago and that an investigation is underway.
"We have carried out an investigation at the location. We will look into possible links with previous cases. At the same time, enforcement efforts such as roadblocks involving other security agencies will be carried out at several strategic locations," he said when contacted on Saturday (April 5).
In the January case, the elephant’s head and limbs were severed, but there have been no updates on the investigation so far.
The Borneo pygmy elephant is a fully protected species under Sabah law.
Offenders face hefty fines and jail time under the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997.
