See link for photo.
Andrew Sebastian from the Ecotourism & Conservation Society Malaysia (EcoMy) said elephants were one of the main tourist attractions in Sabah.
“We can’t keep losing elephants. This has to stop. And we can’t be reacting only when a wildlife is brutally killed. The Sabah state government must take measures.
“Sabah promotes eco-tourism because it has two world famous elephant species. If they die, Sabah’s tourism industry will suffer,” he told FMT, when responding to the brutal killings of two wild bull elephants by poachers near Segama River, Kawag Forest Reserve in the past week.
The first carcass was found on Dec 27, 2016 in the middle of an estate bordering the forest reserve while the second animal, a sabre-tusked bull named Sabre, was found on New Year’s Eve.
Malaysia is home to the Asian elephant found in the peninsula and the Pygmy Asian elephant, found only in Sabah. Their numbers currently stand at less than 3,000 in total.
Globally, there are only about 38,000 to 51,000 Asian elephants in the wild. The numbers are dropping because of habitat destruction, as well as culling and poaching for their tusks and body parts. Other reasons are land conversion for agriculture and urban development.
“Tourists visit Sabah to see the Pygmy Asian elephants. That is one of the major attractions. If the state government does not find ways to stop the poaching, the tourism numbers will drop.
“Right now the state government puts photos of Pygmy elephants on brochures to attract tourists. But are they doing enough to protect them,” Sebastian asked.
He urged the Sabah government to hire more rangers to keep away poachers and offer incentives for local communities to act as elephant stewards, and work closely with NGOs to prevent elephant poaching.
Malaysian Nature Society president Henry Goh said the recent killing of two bull elephants in Sabah proves that protected wildlife were not safe in a forest reserve.
“Greed is once again the cause for the poaching and senseless killing of wildlife,” he said.
He urged the authorities to immediately increase surveillance of known habitats of critically endangered wildlife and to impose heavier penalties to serve as a deterrent to would be poachers.
The Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 is being amended to increase existing penalties such as a fine of up to a maximum of RM1 million and raising the jail term to 10 years; caning as a penalty; and the introduction of a provision covering online wildlife sales.
Currently, those involved in poaching and other wildlife crimes face a penalty of a fine up to RM500,000 and a jail term of not more than five years.
State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Masidi Manjun reportedly ordered Sabah’s Wildlife Department to step up enforcement against poachers, as too many killings had taken place.