KUALA LUMPUR-- Malaysian wildlife authorities have saved a second endangered pygmy elephant calf on Borneo island, a state minister said Wednesday as he called for an urgent effort to safeguard its shrinking habitat.
Masidi Manjun, eastern Sabah-state tourism, culture and environment minister said the two-year-old female elephant was found last Friday. About two weeks ago plantation workers found a starving six-month-old elephant in another area.
"I hope the saving of the two pygmy elephants will highlight the need by the people of Sabah to treasure our jungles and our rare animals," he said.
Pygmy elephants are unique to Borneo and form a sub-species of the Asian elephant. The creatures have a rounded appearance and males stand only about 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) tall, compared to around 3.0 meters for mainland Asian elephants.
Authorities say the elephant species is considered endangered, with around 1,500-2,000 left on Borneo island.
Wildlife activists have warned that Borneo Pygmy elephants are fast losing their natural habitat to deforestation and human encroachment.
Masidi said he feared the two calves could have been separated or abandoned by their mothers "in a haste to escape hunters or humans," as poaching was rife in the state.
"Sabah's wildlife faces challenges. Poaching is the number one problem. Its wildlife habitat is experiencing destruction, degradation and fragmentation of the forest," he warned.
"Indiscriminate logging will affect our wildlife."
Masidi said since eco-tourism was a major income earner for Sabah, failure to safeguard nature will have "far reaching implications" on the state economy.
Source: Inquirer