TAWAU, Sept 30 — The police will assist the Wildlife Department to track down the people suspected to be involved in the killing of an elephant which was shot 70 times in Sungai Udin, Dumpas, Kalabakan near here, in an operations dubbed ‘Operasi Khazanah’.
Tawau District Police Chief ACP Peter Umbuas said police will not allow the Wildlife Department to work alone and without police protection in this matter.
“This is because the suspects are confirmed to have firearms and the Wildlife Department has lodged a police report,” he told reporters here today.
He added that a meeting will be held tomorrow with representatives of the Wildlife Department to discuss ways to track down the suspects.
“The elephant is believed to have died from firearm use,” he said.
The Sabah Wildlife Department today described the killing of a pygmy elephant in Sungai Udin, on Thursday as a cruel act based on the outcome of a post-mortem by a team of veterinarians and wildlife officers.
Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga told Bernama that the post-mortem found most of the bullets in the elephant’s body and the elephant was believed to have suffered as a result of the wounds. — Bernama
