Smaller, tamer elephants found

2003-09-05 13:34

Kuala Lumpur - A smaller and tamer subspecies of "pygmy" elephant has been discovered in Borneo island following DNA tests, the WWF conservation group said on Thursday.

Found in Malaysia's Sabah state on Borneo, the elephants have significantly different characteristics from their cousins in mainland Asia and Sumatra, WWF Malaysia said in a statement on its website.

"They are relatively tame and mild-tempered when compared to other Asian elephants. Borneo's elephants are also smaller in size," said its chairman Tengku Zainal Adlin.

The WWF said dung samples it collected were sent to Columbia University for DNA analysis, and evidence showed the Borneo elephants were isolated about 300 000 years ago from their cousins in mainland Asia and Sumatra.

During that period, they became smaller with relatively larger ears, longer tails and relatively straight tusks.

The WWF said Borneo's elephants were genetically distinct, making them one of the top priority populations for conservation. They must not be crossbred but be managed separately from other Asian elephants.

It said the discovery also removed the theory that the elephants were descendants of tame elephants presented as gifts to the Sultan of Sulu by the British in the 17th century.

It called for research on the pygmy elephants reproductive rates, juvenile survival and other indicators of detrimental effects of inbreeding.

- AFP