Sabah in no rush to send rhinos overseas for breeding

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is in no rush to send its rhinos to zoos abroad for breeding amid fears that the animal faces extinction in Borneo, said state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun.

He said it would be the state’s last resort to send rhinos overseas for breeding.

“We are looking at all available options and the most important thing is to ensure that these animals will not become extinct,” he said.

“However, to send them overseas will be our last resort,” he said at the Sabah Muslim Cabinet ministers’ Hari Raya open house at Likas Sports Complex on Saturday.

Asked about the growing calls for the near extinct rhinos to be sent to a US zoo for breeding purposes, Masidi said that it was hard to get rhinos to mate due to geographical factors.

“Rhinos are loners. They don’t really move in packs.It makes it much ,more difficult for our rhinos to find mates,” he said.

However, he said he would study various recommendations from experts before discussing with the Cabinet on the options to ensure the species survives in Sabah.

Source: The Star

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Cabinet to discuss Kundasang report today – Masidi

The report on the slope stability in Kundasang by the Department of Mineral and Geoscience will be tabled at the state cabinet meeting today, Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said.

Masidi stressed that the report was requested by his ministry following a landslide that caused extensive damage to a resort in Kundasang two years ago.

“Just to clarify any confusion on the study/report prepared by the Mineral and Geoscience Department that has been submitted to our ministry and the Local Government and Housing Ministry.

“It was a report requested by my ministry in the aftermath of the collapse of Zen Garden Resort,” Masidi said during the Tourism, Culture and Environment Mnistry’s breaking of fast event at a hotel here on Monday night.

According to Masidi, among the terms of reference of the study was to determine the stability of the soil within and around the various hotels and resorts, many of which were operating without an Occupational Certificate (OC).

The report, Masidi said, was intended to assist resorts and hotels to take mitigating measures to ensure maximum safety in view of the perennial movement of the ground/land within Kundasang/Mount Kinabalu (a natural occurrence).

The implementation of the various recommendations is coordinated by a special task force formed by the Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry together with the Local Government and Housing ministry. It is chaired by the Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry’s permanent secretary, Masidi said.

“The tabling of the report to the Cabinet on Wednesday is merely to brief the Cabinet on the progress of the task force as well as the report itself. In fact, some hotels and resorts have already taken proactive measures of implementing these recommendations which is a condition for their trading/operating licence renewal by the Ranau District Council,” he added.

Masidi said this when asked to respond to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Tan Sri Joseph Kurup’s statement pertaining to the study, which the latter said had been published and forwarded to the Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry, Ranau District Council and District Office.

Masidi pointed out that there are factors which are beyond human control and we are aware of the fact that Kundasang and the surrounding areas have always experienced landslides, irrespective of whether it is rainy season or not.

“This is a natural occurrence due to the perennial earth movement there. However, this is not the time to blame others or to point fingers. Instead, there is a need to better understand the real situation and get the experts to explain why it is happening,” he said.

During the event, Masidi presented a RM5,000 donation from his ministry to the 120 Pusat Latihan Dalam Komuniti Ranau trainees.

Source: Borneo Post

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Masidi wants trees planted on hillslopes in kundasang

KOTA KINABALU: State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun today emphasised the importance of planting trees on hillslopes in an effort to reduce the occurrence of natural disasters especially landslides.

He said this approach should be implemented to create a balance between economic development through agricultural activities and the natural ecosystem in high altitude areas especially in Kundasang which is located at the foothills of Mount Kinabalu, which is among the highest mountains in Southeast Asia.

He said the planting of trees in vegetable and fruit farms on the hillslopes could strengthen the soil condition and structure, thus speeding up the process of water absorption and reducing the risk of erosion.

“That is why the planting of trees in hillslope areas in Kundasang is most encouraged,” he told reporters when met at the breaking of the fast with the staff of Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK), here last night.
 

 In the incident at about 10.45am, strawberry vendor Dohumie Kinte, in her 70′s, was believed to be picking strawberry alone in her farm when the incident struck.

Her body was found at 12.15pm yesterday under the debris of the landslide at her farm.

Masidi said the unexpected incident should give a lesson on the importance of conserving the environment in preventing destruction to property and the loss of life in future.

At the function, the minister gave out DBKK contributions to 10 mosques around the state capital and raya contributions to 20 personnel of DBKK to celebrate the Hari Raya.

Source: Borneo Insider

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Change Attitude for Cleaner Beaches - Masidi

  "Some Sabahans are in desperate need of an attitude change when it comes to littering, said Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun." - Daily Express

Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun has urged the society to change their attitudes and start to pay serious attention over the environmental cleanliness.

Complaints on cleanliness along Sabah's shores are nothing new and the City Hall has taken the step to clean the shores on daily basis. However, the effort is not enough to overcome the issue as long as the people have no conciousness towards the cleanliness of ocean and rivers. The situation in Sembulan, for instance is quite worrying and City Hall's is going to redevelop the area with the hope to solve the cleanliness issue there.

It is sad to see that littering problem is still haunting the society eventhough there were so many measures have been taken to educate the people on environmental cleanliness.  We should realize that it is our responsibility to ensure the environment is clean and protected. Doing our part to keep litter to a minimum is easy, but it takes vigilance yet it is never to late for us to make a change for a better environment through our mindset, habit and attitude.

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Danes' conservation help lauded

 

KOTA KINABALU: State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun has applauded the continuous collaboration between Yayasan Sabah and Danish-based NEPCon for the management of the Maliau Basin Conservation Area (MBCA) for the next 10 years. 

"Such collaborations between two countries are most welcome, especially between developed countries and developing countries, like Malaysia. 

"It is in the world's interests that we cooperate in preserving rainforests and our natural environment." 

Masidi was speaking at the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Yayasan Sabah and NEPCon, which is a non-profit organisation in Denmark, on the revision of the MBCA Management Plan 2014 to 2023, here. 

He said NEPCon, on behalf of the Danish government, had undertaken the responsibility of collaborating with the state in the preparation of the management plan 10 years ago. 

"This time, they took their own initiative, in support of Yayasan Sabah, to raise funding to review the MBCA management plan, which expired last year. 

"I encourage more people from Scandinavian countries to collaborate with the government in the environmental fields of strategic projects that not only influence the state, but the global community, too." 

NEPCon was approached for assistance when the MBCA Strategic Management Plan 2003 expired last year. 

The latter then secured funding of about RM1.17 million from Aage V. Jansen Foundation in Denmark for the purpose. 

Masidi also thanked Ikea, a Swedish organisation involved in environmental projects, for being one of Yayasan Sabah's biggest sponsors for its conservation programmes in the MBCA.

The programmes, which include forest restoration and rehabilitation, were initiated through Ikea in 1998.

"Despite having no stores in the state, Ikea has been in the state for the last 10 years through efforts to conserve pristine areas, as well as forest rehabilitation.

"Malaysia, in general, and Sabah, in particular, is appreciative of the crucial contributions that the Scandinavian countries -- Denmark and Sweden -- have given to the state." Bernama

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Babagon River a potential tourist attraction - Masidi

Pic: Kepkas

Babagon River, which flows through Kampung Babagon here, can be a tourism attraction for the district, said Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun.

 

Masidi, when met at a gathering with members of the social media at Kampung Babagon yesterday, pointed out that Babagon River is one of the most beautiful rivers in the state.

“It has its own special attraction and this location can be promoted to tourists from all over the world,” he said.

According to Masidi, he was made to understand that Kampung Babagon, which practises the “tagal” system, is already a popular destination among foreign tourists but is relatively unknown among domestic visitors.

The tagal system is a community-based fisheries resource management system practised by  many riparian communities in Sabah. It is a stakeholder-driven system of rehabilitation, protection and conservation of the river environments and the fisheries resources for its sustainable development.

At the moment, the number of tagal areas established in Sabah has multiplied to more than 200 involving 107 rivers in 11 districts.

Protection of the tagal system rivers’ environment and its enforcement are in the hands of the elected Tagal Committees. At present, the enforcement of the prohibitions is through the imposition of native customary laws that are backed by the Native Court.

Masidi also expressed hope that domestic tourists will choose Kampung Babagon as a location for recreational activities in the future.

He added that netizens on social media websites, such as Twitter, have a very wide influence in the promotion of tourism products.

The recreational area in Kampung Babagon is located just by the river side and is equipped with a mini hall, toilets and food stalls.

Anglers can also try their hand at fishing for “pelian”, but only on a catch and release basis for a fee.

Source: Borneo Post

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EARTH HOUR: Coral planting at Earth Hour event

Photo: Insight Sabah

 

Sutera Harbour Resort has added a conservation activity in the form of coral planting during its Earth Hour event here, last Saturday.

The resort started celebrating Earth Hour in 2007, grew bigger and by 2011 it also involved the Sabah Environment Action Centre (EAC) and the Kota Kinabalu City Hall in 2012. For this 2013 Earth Hour, the resort started on a coral planting project with the Borneo Marine Research Institute of Universiti Malaysia Sabah which providing the expertise.

The event was launched by Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Masidi Manjun at 8.30 pm sharp. Masidi said the event was not only about switching off the light for an hour but to create awareness among the people on the importance of energy conservation in the long run. He advised to everybody to be wise in electricity consumption at home or the office by switching on lights and air conditioners only when needed. He suggested that everyone can start conserving electricity at home or the office by switching on lights and air conditioners only when needed. The minister also recommended that building architects and designers should use air conditioning systems that can be adjusted especially those with centralised systems.

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Taking the ultimate step to conserve our natural treasures for posterity

The tropical rainforests of Borneo are among the most biologically diverse ecosystems on Earth with at least 15,000 species of plants that have been identified. Of that number, approximately 6,000 species are unique to the land.

Unfortunately, it is only in recent times that this treasure trough of biodiversity has caught the attention of scientists and environmentalists, and then governments. There are now frantic efforts to save these treasures from decades of mindless destruction and exploitation. Over the years, our forests and wildlife habitats have come under relentless onslaught to the point that some plants and animals faced extinction.

To counter this, the State Government has made a resolute stand and taken strong measures to protect Sabah's natural environment. Currently, plans are afoot to turn  Danum Valley, Maliau Basin and Imbak Canyons (DAMAI), which together span over 133,000 hectares with over 1,800 species of flora and 800 species of fauna, into a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

“We have a chance to safeguard forever these treasures in Sabah. We should take the chance now instead of leaving it to the people who come after us to safeguard them,” Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Masidi Manjun reminded Sabahans at the Nomination of DAMAI as a World Heritage Site Workshop last year. 

More and more parties are following in the government’s foot steps to protect the environment. This includes the state-mandated non-governmental organization (NGO) Borneo Conservation Trust (BCT). BCT announced yesterday that it has embarked on a ten-year programme with Myne Resort to prove that people are more likely to benefit from a natural forest teeming with wildlife than one that is depleted of living creatures. In a press statement, BCT Conservation and Research Head Raymond Alfred explained that the programme is currently carried out on the 100 acres of forestland belonging to Myne Resort.

BCT will carry out three core activities focused on conservation and management of the land. These activities include the establishment of a wild orangutan lookout site and Bornean pygmy elephants’ observation platform.

“We believe that this move will encourage more people to come and visit the Lower Kinabatangan Mega Biodiversity Corridor, which is within the Myne’s Forest corridor. Additionally, they can also learn what they can do to support conservation efforts in the area,” he said.

BCT will also carry out a unique wildlife observation programme with young people in mind. This involves developing a long-term volunteer programme that encourages youth participation.

The programme was just launched in January this year and is being fine-tuned for routine operation.

Source: Insight Sabah

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Don’t speculate on pygmy elephants’ deaths – Masidi

Photo: runwildrunfreefilms.blogspot.com

KOTA KINABALU: Members of the public have been asked not to jump to conclusion on the cause of death of the 14 pygmy elephants in Lahad Datu.

Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun told press members after addressing his ministry’s monthly staff gathering yesterday that it was dangerous for them to come up with an assumption at this time unless there was strong evidence to support their argument.

“We cannot assume because the first test conducted failed to show how the elephants had died,” he said.

He added that a lot of people had mentioned the possibility that the elephants were killed by oil palm plantations.

“But the elephants died 42 kilometers from the nearest plantation. That is very far away. So anything could have caused their deaths,” he said.

Masidi also said it was wrong to point fingers at village folk as the culprits.

When asked if it was possible that the elephants could have been poisoned by pesticides gotten from Indonesia,, Masidi replied that if pesticides were used in the killing of the elephants, it would have been apparent in the first test carried out.

“It would have been found in the lab test … if it was pesticide, other animals would have been found dead near the locations too. But there were none. Moreover, half of the elephants from the same herd are still alive. If it is true that they had grazed at the same areas, all of them would have been dead,” he explained.

Masidi added that he did not think the pesticide was dumped into the river because otherwise they would have found dead fishes too.

Meanwhile, the samples from the dead elephants have not been sent to laboratories in Australia and Thailand as the issue is governed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

“We have to wait for their approval before we can send the samples to Australia and to Thailand. CITES is responsible on such issues. Moreover, the pygmy elephants are classified under Class 1 of CITES, so we need their approval before we can ship the samples outside of Sabah. We will be getting the approval to send the samples over to Thailand but the approval to send the samples to Australia is still pending,” he said.

Fortunately, the samples, which were refrigerated, can last for a long time, even years.

He stressed that they were keen on resolving the issue as soon as possible as it has garnered world attention.

Masidi then mentioned that there was still no tip-off from the public despite the RM100,000 reward that was now being offered for the capture and conviction of the perpetrator that had caused the elephants’ death.

“Even the police, who have tried their best, have yet to find any lead on what killed the elephant. It is a mystery, so we need to tackle the issue with caution. We don’t want to accuse people unnecessarily.

“Give them time. We hope there will be concrete evidence on the cause of death. I must caution however than not all scientific knowledge can solve problems.”

Read more: Borneo Post

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MoU to expand Wildlife Corridor in Lower Kinabatangan

MoU signing ceremony - (From left to right) Administration and Finance Manager Josephine Maluda, Head of Conservation and Research, Borneo Conservation Trust Raymond Alfred, Director of Sabah Wildlife Department Datuk Dr. Laurentius Ambu, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Masidi Manjun, Managing Director of Myne Resort, Ouh Mee Lan, Director of Myne Resort, Tan Kum Peng and Senior Manager of Myne Resort Rosemawaty Adil Embun

“It makes sense to conserve. Nature is Sabah’s biggest asset. We are very lucky. Show the future generations that we are looking after it,” said Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun who witnessed the MoU Signing Ceremony on Creation and Management of Orangutan and Borneon Elephant Conservation Corridor in Kinabatangan Mega Biodiversity Corridor. The MoU was signed between Borneo Conservation Trust (BCT) and Myne Resort at the Palace Hotel recently.

Speaking at the ceremony, BCT Honorary Secretary and Director of Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu said, “Looking into Lower Kinabatangan Sanctuary, the biggest problem that we face is fragmentation of the area. We worked with WWF (World Wildlife Fund for Nature) to come up with a master plan to deal with this problem. One of the recommendations at that time was to work with the land owners, NGOs, resorts and oil planters.”

“That vision is being realized through this MoU today. We are embarking on the first model with this partnership whereby 100 acres of Myne Resort land will be managed together with BCT and Sabah Wildlife Department. Instead of developing it for agriculture, the land will be used for tourism purposes.”

200 acres of Myne Resort’s forest land is located along the fringes of Kinabatangan River in Kampung Bilit. 100 acres have been utilized to build the resort. The 100 acres of forest land is an important component that reconnects isolated forest habitats with the larger forest landscape by re-establishing the biodiversity corridor between Lot 4 and Lot 5 of Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary.

"This will be a big highway for the elephants to move from the northern to the southern part of Sabah,” said Ambu. Besides linking key habitats for the elephants, the habitats for orangutans and rhinoceros will also be re-established in Lower Kinabatangan. This will decrease isolation of animal population that will expose species to genetic drift and inbreeding. Habitat fragmentation will also increase the incidence of human-wildlife conflict.

“The biggest challenge in forest conservation is to convince landowners to defer their profit,” said Masidi. “I think Myne Resort has conservation at heart,  and it makes economic sense.”

Masidi also said that the partnership established will draw in more tourists to Sabah. “We can only find the orangutan in Sumatra and Borneo. You might find them in other places but that is not their natural habitat,” added the Minister. “Even the Proboscis monkey is endemic to Borneo.”

“Birds are now more valuable alive than dead,” said Masidi. “This is because interest in bird watching is increasing. Sabah has about 500 local bird varieties. In fact, the whole of Borneo has about 624 bird varieties and 14 are endemic to Kinabalu. Besides that 998 varieties of wild orchids have been identified in Sabah.”

The Minister added that Sabah is known not for skyscrapers. Tourists seek a unique experience and what they find in Sabah will set Sabah apart from other places in the world.

Myne Managing Director, Ouh Mee Lan, said, “Honestly speaking, thinking of the long term, the conservation of forest is for my grandchildren. It is done for our future generation."

There are 16 chalets and a longhouse in Myne Resort. The resort also plans on building 40 solar powered chalets in 2013. It also intends to plant trees and clean up the rivers in collaboration with BCT and SWD. 

Source: Insight Sabah

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Energy efficient lighting for SK Randagong

Managing Director of SESB Ir. Abdul Razak Sallim explaining the benefits of the LED lights to Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Masidi Manjun during the unveiling of the energy efficient lighting system.

In line with the government's plan to stop the use  of inefficient filamen bulbs in the country by 2014, Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) has taken the initiative to replace the filamen lamps at SK Randagong, Ranau, a school that SESB has adopted since 2009 as part of its corporate social responsibility.

Speaking at the ceremony to unveil the new lighting system, Managing Director of SESB Ir. Abdul Razak Sallim said, "The use of compact fluorescent lamp can save up to 80% of electricity compared to the filamen lamp."

He added that using  electricity in an efficient way will help to reduce electricity consumption and also reduce the release of green house gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), that have an adverse effect on health and the environment.

He said besides saving electricity, LED lights , are brighter and release minimal heat, thus making the atmosphere more comfortable.

The total cost of changing all 35 lights at the school is RM5,350.

Abdul Razak also advised the students, parents and teachers to be energy efficient  at home. He said if all consumers  are committed to save power we may be able to make a difference in combating global warming.

He disclosed that  during the 2009 Earth Hour, SESB recorded a reduction in load demand by up to 50 MW as many people made an effort to participate and switched off their lights for one hour.

Speaking at the same function Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Masidi Manjun said what is of equal importance is the awareness gained from SESB's new lighting installation, that there is a way to save power that is good for the family budget and good for the environment.

Masidi also announced that he will allocate RM50,000 to SK Randagong for the purpose of building a school hall to enable the 100 students of the school to have a bigger and more comfortable hall in which to assemble and conduct other school activities.

During the same function SESB also handed RM1,000 contribution to the school.

Source: Insight Sabah

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More comprehensive tests and analyses to be carried out over elephants death

Death of 14 Pygmy elephants is still under investigation

Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Masidi Manjun said his ministry will be seeking a second opinion from two internationally accredited forensic testing facilities – the Ramathibodi Poison Centre at Mahidol University of Thailand and to the Chemistry Lab of the Queensland Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Australia for comprehensive tests and analyses over the elephants death.

Sabah Forestry Director Datuk Sam Manan said apparently Yayasan Sabah has been blamed for the deaths of 14 pygmy elephants in Gunong Rara Forest Reserve because their oil palm plantations were being destroyed and being nearest to the scene even though the investigation has not been concluded. Chemistry and Forensics Departments have not yet yield any conclusive evidence for analysis on the samples taken from the elephant carcasses. Therefore, Masidi has instructed that the scope of tests be widened to more possible contaminants. Analysis results from the two internationally accredited forensic testing facilities hopefully will ensure greater transparency over this investigation.

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Sabah offers RM40,000 reward

Wildlife and Natural Parks Department officer Augustine David with the sole survivor of a herd of Borneo pygmy elephants found dead in the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve recently. Pic by Lano Lan

KOTA KINABALU: IF the chemist's report indicates that the 14 Borneo  pygmy elephants were poisoned, the state government will offer a RM40,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the culprits.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said yesterday the chemist's report would be ready on Friday.

At a task force meeting on Monday, he was told that two senior police officers from Kinabatangan had been assigned to investigate the matter.

"The Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (Matta) has offered RM10,000 and they (task force) have asked the ministry to top it up.

"I found that there is a provision for this in the Wildlife Enactment and I agreed to top it up with another RM40,000. So the potential reward is RM50,000."

All eyes have been on Sabah since news of the death of 14 elephants near the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve, 130km from Tawau, was published.

The Sabah Wildlife and Natural Parks Department believes that the endangered mammals were poisoned. It submitted samples to the Chemistry Department last week.

"Once the chemist's report is ready and if it shows conclusively that someone poisoned the elephants, we will start sending flyers to let people know about the reward.

"We are not saying that the elephants were poisoned. We are saying if the chemist's report confirms it, we will start looking for the culprits."

Source: New Straits Times

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Yayasan Sabah pledges cooperation in probe of dead elephants

Pygmy elephants' death to be investigated

 

KOTA KINABALU: Yayasan Sabah Group will cooperate with the relevant departments in investigating the cause of death of the elephants at its concession area, said Yayasan Sabah director Tan Sri Datu Khalil Datu Jamalul.

 

He said the Group would work closely with the relevant agencies to find the root cause of the dead elephants and to come up with corrective actions to avoid similar incidents in future.

“In fact, we are part of the Task Force comprising various government departments and agencies set up to investigate the incidents,” he said in a statement, here today.

Yesterday, State Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Masidi Manjun was quoted as confirming that so far, 14 Borneo pygmy elephants had been found dead at the Rara Forest Reserve, about 139km from Tawau.

Masidi had said based on an initial examination of the elephant carcasses, the cause of death was likely to be poisoning.

Khalil also clarified that Syarikat Empayar Kejora Sdn Bhd was not a subsidiary logging company of the Group as purportedly reported in the dailies but a contractor contracted by the Group to undertake responsible logging activities within the area.

All logging contractors under the purview of the Group are stringently bound to the relevant Acts and Enactments including the Forest Enactment (1968), Wildlife Conservation Enactment (1997), Sabah Biodiversity Enactment (2000) and the Environmental Protection Enactment (2002), he said.

 “We are also working closely with many government agencies and national as well as international bodies and NGOs such as the Royal Society of United Kingdom; WWF Malaysia, Face the Future, the Netherlands; IKEA, Sweden; Wetlands International, Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Forest Research Centre Sepilok, Academy Sciences Malaysia, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, PETRONAS, Kyoto University and many others for our forest management, environment, conservation and rehabilitation, environmental education and community outreach programmes,” he added.

Khalil said the group would continue to play a critical role in ensuring that the environment remains available for future generations.  

On this note, he said the Group would not rest on its laurels on issues concerning environmental sustainability.

"Therefore, the Group will work together with other agencies to prevent unwanted incidence like these from happening again especially in our own concession area,” he said. 

Source: New Straits Times

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Pygmy’s killer must be brought to justice

Pygmy elephants

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) has expressed full support to the statement by Sabah’s Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun that if the Bornean elephants were maliciously poisoned then the culprits must be brought to justice and be made to pay for their crime against these animals.

“The shocking discovery of the mysterious deaths of 13 Borneo pygmy elephants in Gunung Rara Forest Reserve is indeed the saddest day for Sabah’s conservation efforts,” MCPF Vice Chairman, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said in a statement yesterday.

“As an animal lover I am also deeply saddened by the death of these majestic and endangered Bornean elephants,” he said. “The picture of an orphaned elephant calf trying to wake up its dead mother was indeed a heart wrenching sight and would move animal lovers to tears,” he added.

Lee welcomed the setting up of a taskforce by the Sabah Wildlife Department involving the WWF and the police to investigate and get to the bottom of this tragic incident.

He said the authorities concerned must send a strong message to those responsible for the death of the endangered species that their action must not be tolerated and they must be brought to justice.

“Granted that these elephants might roam into plantations and villages where they might cause losses to the owners, such a problem, if it does exist, can be dealt with by the Wildlife Department.

“But if there are humans who go to such extent to kill the 13 endangered pigmy elephants by resorting to poisoning, it is totally unacceptable and justice must be done,” he said.

“According to media reports it would appear that the likely cause of death pointed to poisoning as according to the post mortem the gastro intestinal tracts had severe hemorrhages and ulceration with some bleeding from the mouth and anus,” Lee said.

“If any form of poison is used to kill the elephants leading to their slow and painful deaths, then it is an act of sheer cruelty to the animals which must be taken seriously and those responsible must be brought to book,” he said.

Source: New Sabah Times

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Masidi: Death of 10 elephants saddest day for conservation efforts in Sabah

Baby pygmy elephant mourns over dead mother

KOTA KINABALU: The discovery of the deaths of 10 Borneo pygmy elephants in Gunung Rara Forest Reserve was the saddest day for Sabah’s conservation efforts.

“This is a very sad day for conservation and Sabah. The death of these majestic and severely endangered Bornean elephants is a great loss to the state,” Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun  said.

“Though it might be too early to pinpoint a conclusive cause of death, poisoning seems to be the likely cause,” he said.

Masidi said he had directed Sabah Wildlife Department to set up a joint task force with relevant stakeholders such as the Forestry Department, Yayasan Sabah, WWF and police to further investigate these deaths and to get to the bottom of it.

“If indeed these poor elephants were maliciously poisoned I will make sure that the culprits are brought to justice and pay for their crime ” Masidi added.

Elephants are known to roam into plantations and villages where they cause severe losses to the owners.

Sabah Wildlife Department is usually called in to help in steering the elephants away from such places and in some cases they are moved to other forest reserves.

However, some people affected have resorted to poisoning the elephants to stop their menace and among the methods used are pesticides including rat poisons over the years.

State Wildlife director Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu  said that they were scouring the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve area as well as places adjacent to it to see if any pesticides were used to kill the elephants.

Source: kepkas.sabah.gov.my  

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3 more rare Borneo elephants mysteriously found dead

Wildlife officials investigate the death of an elephant at the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve in Sabah, Malaysia. Thirteen endangered Borneo pygmy elephants have been found dead in the Malaysian forest under mysterious circumstances. (Sabah Wildlife Department/Associated Press)

 

13 deaths this month, suspiscions of poisoning

 

Malaysian authorities discovered the decomposing remains of another three endangered Borneo pygmy elephants today, deepening a mystery surrounding at least 13 such deaths this month.

The wildlife department in Malaysia's Sabah state is bracing for the possibility of finding more dead elephants in the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve, where an unknown number of the animals roam, said Masidi Manjun, Sabah's environment minister.

Police are investigating suspicions that the elephants were poisoned. Officials have declined to say whether there are any suspects.

The first 10 known deaths captured wide attention when they were made public this week. Authorities released several photographs of the elephant carcasses and a particularly poignant one of a three-month-old surviving calf that appeared to be trying to wake its dead mother.

"There is definitely a sense of urgency," Masidi said by telephone from Sabah on Wednesday. "We cannot discount the possibility of more bad news."

The orphaned male elephant, nicknamed "Joe" by his rescuers, was transported to a Sabah wildlife park. Officials say he is under observation and appears healthy.

Fewer than 1,500 Borneo pygmy elephants

 

The WWF conservation group estimates that fewer than 1,500 Borneo pygmy elephants exist. Most live in Sabah, one of two Malaysian states on Borneo island, and grow to about 2.5 metres tall, about 30 to 60 centimetres shorter than mainland Asian elephants.

Known for their babyish faces, large ears and long tails, Borneo pygmy elephants were found to be a distinct subspecies only in 2003, after DNA testing.

Officials are working to have a laboratory analysis of samples from the dead elephants ready "as soon as possible," Masidi said.

Department veterinarians have said the elephants, believed to belong to a single herd, suffered severe hemorrhages and ulcers in their gastrointestinal tracts.

Source: CBC News

 

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10 rare pygmy elephants found dead in Sabah

A baby elephant stays close to a dead pygmy elephant in the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve, some 130 kilometers from Tawau in Malaysia's Sabah state. AFP

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 29, 2013): Ten endangered pygmy elephants were found dead this month in Malaysian Borneo and are thought to have been poisoned, conservation officials said Tuesday.

Wildlife authorities in Sabah, a state on the eastern tip of the island, have formed a taskforce together with the police and WWF to investigate the deaths.

Laurentius Ambu, Sabah wildlife department director, said it received a report last Wednesday of four dead pygmy elephants in the Gunung Rara forest reserve.

But officials were "shocked" to find another four of the animals, a rare sub-species of the Asian elephant, dead or dying after inspecting the area for two days, he said.

"Early this year, two highly decomposed elephant carcasses were found in the general vicinity of where these eight animals were found. We believe that all the deaths of these elephants are related," he said in a statement.

Sen Nathan, the department's senior veterinarian, said in the statement "we highly suspect" the animals died due to poisoning after finding severe ulceration and bleeding in their digestive tracts.

"It was actually a very sad sight to see all those dead elephants, especially one of the dead females who had a very young calf of about three months old. The calf was trying to wake the dead mother up," he said.

Masidi Manjun, the state's environment minister, vowed to take tough action.

"If indeed these poor elephants were maliciously poisoned I would personally make sure that the culprits would be brought to justice and pay for their crime," he said in the statement.

There are fewer than 2,000 Borneo pygmy elephants, which are smaller and have more rounded features compared to normal Asian elephants, left in the wild, according to authorities. 

Activists warn that pygmy elephants are fast losing their natural habitat to deforestation and human encroachment on Borneo, a vast island shared by Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. – AFP

Source: The Sun Daily

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A plan to clean up our rivers

Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Masidi Manjun

Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Masidi Manjun announced on Wednesday that the State Government has adopted a 20-year long-term plan to clean up the Inanam, Darau and Likas rivers.

He told reporters this during the Astro Kasih Press Conference on Wednesday.

Masidi said that an official announcement would be made in the near future regarding this action plan.

According to Masidi, studies have found that the biggest contributors of pollutants and rubbish come from the hinterland.

“We can point our fingers at the villagers in Pulau Gaya, but while they do contribute to pollution, the bulk of the rubbish comes from the rivers, waterways and drains in and around Kota Kinabalu and further upstream, which are washed into the sea and then brought back to shore by the waves,” he said.

Masidi stressed that the task to clean up our rivers must be shouldered by the citizens of the country. It is up to us Sabahans to take the initiative to clean up the environment. 

Source: Insight Sabah

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Resort conserving 100 acres as wildlife corridor

Proboscis monkey

KOTA KINABALU: A Kinabatangan resort yesterday pledged not to clear 100 acres of its land.

By doing so, Myne Resort hopes to create a wildlife corridor which will benefit wildlife such as the pygmy elephants, the orangutans, the proboscis monkeys and so on, said Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun after witnessing the signing ceremony of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Borneo Conservation Trusts (BCT), Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) and Myne Resort.

He lauded the effort and said the resort was fulfilling their corporate social responsibility (CSR) by doing so. Altogether, the resort has 200 acres of land at Kampung Bilit, Kinabatangan.

“This effort will benefit conservation efforts. It is also a new trend among resorts that promise long-term benefits and profits for them,” he said.

He went on to say that foreign tourists were no longer keen on just watching tall buildings and developments.

“They are here to experience something different. And the resort, though this MoU, promises to provide them with the experience to see wildlife when they stay at Myne Resort. I am glad this initiative is taking place. It is part of the component plan, at Kinabatangan, in the creation of the wildlife corridor which will be used as the pathway and habitat for elephants, orangutans and proboscis monkeys so that they will continue to thrive,” he said.

Nevertheless, Masidi also mentioned of the challenges faced in getting people to change their mindset on preserving wildlife and nature.

“Why don’t you think of utilising your land other than palm oil plantation? Why don’t you think of the possibility of conserving it, and build a resort like Myne (Resort) has done and make more money in the future which is sustainable? But unfortunately, not many people think there is a future. Probably they think they will die tomorrow, I don’t know. I think we need to convince them that it is for the good of themselves and Sabah. The lower Kinabatangan has the richest biodiversity in terms of wildlife,” he said.

Meanwhile, SWD director Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu hoped that more private agencies such as plantations and landowners will step forward and work with them and BCT to secure and re-establish ecological corridor for the wildlife at Lower Kinabatangan.

“We believe that conservation works could only be effective if we can share the responsibilities,” he said.

The managing director of Myne Resort, Ouh Mee Lan, on the other hand said the resort was popular due to its vicinity within the forest.

Myne Resort presently has 16 chalets and a longhouse, and in the near future and possibly this year, it will construct 40 new chalets.

Most of its guests are Europeans.

Source: Borneo Post

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