TARAKAN (Indonesia), Oct 2 — The Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) is working with the police to track down poachers involved in the brutal killing of a pygmy elephant in Sungai Udin, Dumpas, Kalabakan, Tawau, last Thursday.

Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew said SWD officers held a meeting with police yesterday in an effort to track down the individuals involved in the killing.

She said it was estimated that four poachers were involved in the heinous crime against the protected mammal.

“It was a vicious act and we should treasure our wildlife and not to kill them. I hope the SWD rangers and the police will catch those involved as soon as possible,” she said when met by Malaysian journalists here last night.

Advertisement

She was in Tarakan in Kalimantan Utara, Indonesia, accompanying Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal on his working visit to the republic.

Liew, who is also Sabah deputy chief minister, was deeply saddened with the killing as there were only about 1,500 pygmy elephants left in Sabah and yet some unscrupulous people still killed the animal.

She hoped the culprits would be brought to justice as the pygmy elephants were fully protected animals under the Schedule 1 of the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997.

Advertisement

In the meantime, Liew also hoped someone would come forward to provide information to help track down the individuals involved, especially after the reward to informant was raised to RM30,000. — Bernama