Activist calls for new elephant census in Sabah

A pygmy elephant and its baby seen in Kinabatangan in this picture taken in 2009. (Bernama pic)

KOTA KINABALU: A wildlife conservation activist has urged the Sabah government to conduct a fresh survey to determine the population of pygmy elephants in the state.

Nurzhafarina Othman, the founder of Projek Seratu Aatai, said the published estimate of 2,040 elephants, based on an official study done in 2006, was out of date.

She noted that pygmy elephants were an endangered species and said the recent spate of deaths had made a new survey urgent.

She told FMT she would like to see the survey extended to areas beyond the protected forests since elephants also live outside those zones.

The survey would help the authorities make new decisions on habitat protection and enforcement, she added.

Nurzhafarina’s NGO describes itself an organisation dedicated to promoting co-existence between people and elephants through research and education. “Seratu Aatai” means “united” in the dialect of the Orang Sungai.

She said elephants were vital for the stability of the environment.

“We are not doing conservation work to impress the international audience or funders,” she said. “Elephants play a huge role in keeping our forests alive, and forests provide us with oxygen.

Activist Nurzhafarina Othman.

“Our aim and commitments are to preserve the elephant for the next generation.”

Last Sunday, the carcass of a pygmy elephant was found floating in the Kinabatangan river. Wildlife experts are still uncertain of the cause of death.

It was the third reported death of a pygmy elephant in five weeks.

In the first incident, occurring on Sept 23 in Kalabakan, Tawau, a bull elephant was apparently shot at close range with a volley of bullets.

A month later, an elephant was found dead in an oil palm plantation in Beluran. Its tusks had been sawn off.

Many other deaths have been reported in recent years.

Nurzhafarina said she feared the loss of international funding for the protection of forests and wildlife if the killings don’t stop.

”Many of the cases are happening in oil palm plantations,” she said. “If the international market wants to use this as an excuse to boycott our palm oil, our economy would be affected very badly.

“The government has to strengthen its relationship with the oil palm players.

“We know the industry itself is facing many challenges. We must build trust and see how best to fit everyone’s requirements to ensure the survival of our elephants.”

Last month, the Sabah government announced a 10-year action plan to increase efforts to protect pygmy elephants. Deputy Chief Minister Christina Liew said the paperwork for the Sabah Elephant Conservation Action Plan 2020-2030 had been completed and would be presented to the state Cabinet either at the end of the year or early next year. - FMT