Stunning Revelation In Sabah Decapitated Elephants Found

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The elephant crisis in Malaysia has been dealt yet another devastating blow with the recent killings of the endangered pygmy elephants which are the smallest elephant species in the world that can be found only in Borneo.

On April 8, a third pygmy elephant was found beheaded near Ladang Bukit Tukok in Tawau which has sparked outrage and authorities suspecting ivory poaching as a potential motive.
The first two cases of beheaded elephants in Tawau were reported in January and earlier in April.
According to the National Museum of African Art, elephant ivory has been prized as a luxury goods in many cultures and continents for thousands of years due to its beauty, usefulness, durability, and large size, which make it easy to carve in fine detail.
These are the reasons that drive poachers to commit these cruel and greedy crimes, without thinking of the lives they destroy.
According to The Star, Sabah Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Christina Liew indicated that while ivory poaching could be the reason, this has yet to be confirmed.
The Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) is actively investigating the incidents to put those responsible for the killings behind bars. Their effort includes recruiting 300 rangers for patrol to strengthen the enforcement.
Liew emphasized that her party is doing everything in their power to protect these wildlife and will try to prevent the pygmy elephants from facing extinction like the Sumatran rhino did in 2019 in Malaysia.
The Bornean pygmy elephant is listed as a completely protected species under the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997. Those caught and found guilty of harming or killing the animals will face significant fines and jail time.
Even with the strict rules, these killings are still happening.
SWD director Mohd Soffian Abu Bakar stated that all three elephants were believed to have been shot before they were beheaded.
He then explained that it takes several hours to remove the tusks from its head. So the fastest way to leave the scene with the tusks is by cutting off the elephants’ head.
Enhancing captive elephants’ well-being To ensure that these lovely creatures can roam free in the wild one day, they need to be conserved and protected from extinction first.
To make this possible, Captive Elephant Management Plan (Cemp) was launched in Sabah on April 9 to take care of Bornean pygmy elephants well-being.
Liew said on the launching day that Cemp would serve as an effort to improve the standard of elephant care in Sabah as it is home to the smallest elephant in the world, a species can’t be found anywhere else on Earth.
The aim for this sanctuary is to ensure that the future generations are still able to witness these creatures roaming in our forests.
Liew also emphasized that law enforcement has to be strengthened to protect the elephants.
“Poaching and illegal killings must be met with strict prosecution to discourage similar crimes in the future. Snare traps, the ‘silent killer’ of our wildlife, must also be removed,” she added, urging for increased patrols, proactive trap removal and harsher punishments for criminals.





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