More Borneo elephants found dead
2013-01-30 17:14
Kuala Lumpur – Malaysian authorities discovered the
decomposing remains of another three endangered Borneo pygmy elephants on
Wednesday, deepening a mystery surrounding at least 13 such deaths this month.
The wildlife department in Malaysia's Sabah state is
bracing for the possibility of finding more dead elephants in the Gunung Rara
Forest Reserve, where an unknown number of the animals roam, Masidi Manjun,
Sabah's environment minister, said.
Police are investigating suspicions that the elephants
were poisoned.
Officials have declined to say whether there are any
suspects.
The first 10 known deaths captured wide attention when
they were made public this week. Authorities released several photographs of
the elephant carcasses and a particularly poignant one of a 3-month-old
surviving calf that appeared to be trying to wake its dead mother.
"There is definitely a sense of urgency,"
Masidi said by telephone from Sabah on Wednesday.
"We cannot discount the possibility of more bad
news."
The orphaned male elephant, nicknamed "Joe" by
his rescuers, was transported to a Sabah wildlife park.
Officials say it is under observation and appears
healthy.
The WWF conservation group estimates that less than 1 500
Borneo pygmy elephants exist.
Most live in Sabah, one of two Malaysian states on Borneo
island, and grow to about 245cm tall, a foot or two shorter than mainland Asian
elephants.
Known for their babyish faces, large ears and long tails,
Borneo pygmy elephants were found to be a distinct subspecies only in 2003,
after DNA testing.
Officials are working to have a laboratory analysis of
samples from the dead elephants ready "as soon as possible," Masidi
said.
Department veterinarians said the elephants, believed to
belong to a single herd, suffered severe haemorrhages and ulcers in their
gastrointestinal tracts.
- SAPA
