KOTA KINABALU: An investigation is underway following the discovery of a tuskless, injured adult male elephant floating in the Kinabatangan River earlier this week.
Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin said Sabah Wildlife Department veterinarians estimated the elephant was between 14 and 18 years old, stood six feet tall, and had died four to five days prior to examination.
A post-mortem conducted on Oct 1 revealed several physical injuries and confirmed that both tusks were missing. Tissue and stomach content samples have been sent for laboratory analysis to determine the exact cause of death.
"At this stage, we do not want to speculate on the circumstances surrounding the injuries, missing tusks, or cause of death," Jafry said in a statement on Saturday (Oct 3).
The carcass was first spotted along the river near Pontian Plantation before drifting downstream. A joint team from the Rapid Response Team and Honorary Wildlife Rangers from Sukau tracked it down and hauled it ashore near Angco Jaya Plantation and Lot 4 of the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary with heavy machinery.
Jafry added that Wildlife Department officers are taking a statement from the individual who first reported the sighting. He urged anyone with information regarding the incident to contact the department immediately, reassuring the public that the state government takes the death of endangered species seriously and will act if foul play is established.
Jafry called for the public’s cooperation in helping the Wildlife Department establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
“Anyone who may have knowledge of this case is urged to come forward and report it to the department immediately,” he said, adding that the state government takes the death of the endangered elephant seriously and will act if there was foul play.
“The protection of Sabah’s wildlife is a responsibility we take seriously, and incidents such as this must be investigated thoroughly and based on evidence,” he said.
