Local News

Wounded Bornean Elephant Dies After Being Shot In Telupid

December 7, 2017

This bull elephant was found wounded at an estate in Telupid last week. Despite efforts to save it, the pachyderm succumbed to its gunshot wounds. – Photo was posted on Facebook which has since been taken down by the account holder

By BORNEOTODAY REPORTERS
KOTA KINABALU: Yet another of Sabah’s famed but dwindling numbers of the Bornean elephant has been killed.

The 10-year-old bull elephant is believed to have succumbed to its injuries on Wednesday despite the valiant efforts by the Sabah Wildlife Department to save it, a week after it was shot by unidentified persons in Telupid.

However, officials were tight-lipped when asked to comment, and neither did Augustine Tuuga, the SWD director respond to a query by BorneoToday early Thursday afternoon.

This is the eighth reported death of the ‘totally protected’ Bornean Elephant in Sabah within the last 14 months.

Workers at Ladang Duta in Telupid had earlier reported to the SWD of the presence of a ‘sick elephant’ at the vicinity of their estate, and a team was despatched further investigate

It is believed that the elephant was probably hunted by poachers and shot at least three times, but managed to escape its attackers and fled to the plantation in the area.

The incident was believed to have taken place some seven to 10 days ago.

Plantation workers who witnessed the rescue operations told Borneotoday they were informed that the wounded jumbo was being taken to the Borneo Elephant Sanctuary at Bilit for further treatment.

**The wounded elephant all prepared to be sent to BES at Bilit. It died after several days of treatment from severe gunshot wounds. – This photo was posted on Facebook but has since been taken down**

Borneotoday was made understand that the cause of death of the elephant was severe complication from the gunshot wounds in its mouth that prevented the elephant from eating anything.

A Facebook user had uploaded photos of the rescue mission – name withheld by Borneotoday – as he had since deleted the photos from his account in the last 12 hours.

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The last known death of a Bornean elephant was around last November 14 when a bull elephant was found shot dead by suspected poachers at an oil palm estate, about 30 kilometres from Tawau, along Jalan Merotai–Kalabakan.

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