Sabah's plan to protect elephants to be tabled before state cabinet on Wednesday

(file pix) Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew said she had signed the Plan and it was pending the state Cabinet’s decision on the conservation plan for 2020 to 2030. NSTP/MALAI ROSMAH TUAH.
By Olivia Miwil - February 2, 2020 @ 4:34pm

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s Elephant Conservation Action Plan paperwork will be tabled at the state cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew said she had signed the Plan and it was pending the state Cabinet’s decision on the conservation plan for 2020 to 2030.

“If the Cabinet approves, I will make an announcement on what will be done to protect elephants in the state,” Liew, who is also State Tourism, Culture and Environment minister, told reporters at Kota Kinabalu Journalist Association’s Chinese New Year celebration here.

Last year, Liew had said that the action plan would not only focus on conservation and protection of elephants but also in the species’ reproduction.

The number of forest rangers and veterinarians would also be increased to attend to the needs of rescuing and giving them treatment especially at the human-animal conflict areas.

In 2004, World Wildlife Fund had estimated that there were only about 1,500 elephants left in Sabah.

Last year, about 20 elephants died due to being poached or they killing one another.

As for the latest case of a dead elephant allegedly being buried using an excavator at Sukau in Lower Kinabatangan, Liew refused to comment as Sabah Wildlife department was still investigating the case.

The incident allegedly happened before Jan 20 but the department had ruled out gunshot as the cause of death.