Authorities Are Investigating A String Of Elephant Killings In Sabah
A third beheaded elephant was discovered near Kalabakan in Tawau.
By Sadho Ram — 09 Apr 2025, 05:24 PM
The Sabah Wildlife Department confirmed today, 9 April, that a beheaded elephant was discovered near Kalabakan in Tawau, bringing the total number of decapitated Borneo pygmy elephants this year to three
The recent beheading follows two earlier elephant killings in January and earlier this month.
"We received the report about the third elephant around noon. However, the carcass was fully decomposed, so we could not perform a post-mortem," said Mohd Soffian Abu Bakar, state director of the Sabah Wildlife Department, as quoted by the New Straits Times.
Despite potential suspects being identified, Sabah Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Christina Liew explained that the department has yet to find hard evidence.
The motive behind these brutal killings remains unclear
Though there is speculation about the possible involvement of the illegal ivory trade, there is no concrete evidence to support this theory.
"Without any proof, I have no comment on that. We don't know until we catch them," said Liew, speaking to media after the launch of the Captive Elephant Management Plan in Kota Kinabalu.
The killings are deeply concerning, given that there are fewer than 1,500 Borneo pygmy elephants left in the wild, primarily found in Sabah's Tabin and Kinabatangan areas.
Besides being poached for their tusks, other risks faced by this protected species include habitat loss, snaring, and poisoning, according to the New Straits Times.
