Bath time: A WRU ranger caring for Taburi at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.
KOTA KINABALU: It has been almost three years but Taburi the elephant is still bearing the scar from a leg wound she suffered after getting tangled in a wire snare.
Taburi was a calf of just about 1.2m in height when she was discovered by estate workers who heard her cries at an oil palm estate in Lahad Datu.
They found the calf, scared and injured, and called the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) which sent a team from the Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU).
The calf was brought to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre where round-the-clock attention was given by WRU rangers.
Given the name Taburi, the elephant has since been thriving in the wildlife sanctuary it now calls home.
WRU, in a Facebook post yesterday to highlight the dangers of snares, said Taburi was one of the “lucky” ones as many other animals did not survive.
“Snare traps are cruel and indiscriminate. It takes only a single wire to destroy a life. Most victims are never seen. They die hidden, alone, and in pain,” it said.
The rescue unit said Taburi’s story is a call to action.
“Say no to snare traps. Support wildlife conservation and protection efforts. Let’s make our forests safe again. Every life matters. Every trap removed saves a future,” said WRU.
SWD director Soffian Abu Bakar said snare traps remain a threat to wildlife in Sabah.
Throughout the years of operations against these traps, he said community rangers have found that there are a number of active traps in the jungles.
“We have also found traps set up for birds,” he said when contacted.
Soffian said the department would continue to deal with issues linked to poaching through initiatives such as hiring community rangers and collaborating with other agencies to fight against wildlife crime.
“We have community rangers employed under the Biodiversity Protection and Patrolling Programme (BP3) working with our department officials and rangers,” he added.
