Another Pygmy Elephant Was Found Dead In Sabah With Its Tusks Removed
The post-mortem on the elephant found several old scars, believed to be bullet wounds, at its buttock.
An adult male pygmy elephant was found shot dead at an oil palm plantation in Beluran district, Sabah on Saturday morning, 19 October
According to The Star, Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said several plantation workers stumbled on the carcass while searching for the source of a foul smell in the plantation.
This comes barely one month after a pygmy elephant was found brutally killed in Tawau, Sabah.
Image via New Straits Times
A team of veterinarians and forest rangers were deployed to the area to conduct a post-mortem on the animal
Tuuga said he has yet to get full details on the post-mortem results.
"From what we know, the elephant was shot dead and had its two tusks removed," he said yesterday, 20 October, as quoted by New Straits Times.
Based on initial checks, the elephant, believed to be about 25 years old and weighing 2.5 tonnes, could have died about three days ago.
The department, he added, was working closely with security forces to find the culprits.
The pygmy elephant is an endangered species found in the tropical rainforests of Borneo.
Image via Malay Mail
Meanwhile, Beluran district police chief Superintendant Kasim Muda said the dead elephant had several old gunshot wounds
The bullets, however, did not pierce through the animal's skin, he said.
Malay Mail reported him saying that the post-mortem on the elephant found several old scars, believed to be bullet wounds, at its buttock, adding that the cause of the elephant's death had yet to be ascertained.
"Also, we have yet to identify those behind this. Anyone with information should come forward to assist our investigation."
The case is being investigated under Section 25(1) of Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 for hunting a totally protected animal.
On 25 September, the carcass of a pygmy elephant, killed in a similar manner, was found in Sungai Udin, Tawau:
Following which, six people were arrested to facilitate the investigation:
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