KOTA KINABALU: An elephant has been found dead with its head hacked off in a forest reserve.
It was believed that the elephant was killed for its tusks.
The discovery of the carcass at the Pinangah forest reserve in interior Tongod was reported to the Sabah Wildlife Department on Sunday (May 17), said the department’s director, Mohd Soffian Abu Bakar.
“Based on initial observations, the elephant’s head was cut in the shape of an L, which suggests it was for its tusks,” he said.
He said the exposed part of the body showed no gunshot wounds, but rangers would conduct a post-mortem soon to confirm the cause of death.
He said they were unable to go to the site immediately after receiving information about the dead elephant due to heavy rain and muddy terrain.
Soffian said many access routes in and out of the area have been closed off to search for the remainder of the elephant’s head, possible suspects and witnesses.
