Ministry wants elephant killer punished
KOTA KINABALU: The Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry wants fair punishment imposed on the individual responsible for the death of the baby pygmy elephant with gunshot wounds and skin that was cut off in Imbak Tongod last Thursday.
Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin when contacted said if the investigation into the elephant's death led to a criminal case, then stern action should be taken.
Clearly, the ministry is committed to preserving and conserving not only wildlife but nature in Sabah.
Yet there are a handful of these irresponsible individuals who cannot see the seriousness in preserving protected species for future generations.
"We do not want this wildlife to end up in the form of pictures or storytelling alone, our generation today must leave a good legacy for future generations," he said.
He added the ministry will always strive to streamline the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 to curb the killing of protected animal species in Sabah.
He said the monitoring work by those responsible also still needs to be improved and admitted that there were constraints in the monitoring work due to lack of staff.
However, he is confident the problem can be solved and monitoring can be better implemented to ensure such incidents do not repeat.
In the incident last Thursday, a Borneo Pygmy Elephant was found decayed with gunshot wounds and cuts at an oil palm plantation near Kg Imbak, Tongod.
According to Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga, the elephant was believed to have died at least four or five days before being discovered.
Based on the results of the autopsy, it is believed the elephant was hit by seven shots with four bullets in the head.
Most of the elephant skin was also removed and some of its limbs such as legs and ears were found about six to 32 meters from its body.
Several limbs of the elephant, including the head and ivory, were found, except for the trunk.
To date, it is difficult to identify the motive for killing the protected animal but the investigation continues.
For the record, it is the first incident involving the skin of the animal in question.
A police report was lodged on the same day by the manager at the farm.
However, no arrests have been made yet.