by Theleaders-Online | October 2, 2019 3:53 am
TARAKAN: 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 week.
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 perpetrators.
She said it was estimated that four poachers were involved in the heinous crime against the protected mammal.
“It was a vicious act. We should treasure our wildlife and not kill them. I hope SWD rangers and the police will catch those involved as soon as possible,” she said when met by Malaysian journalists last night.
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, said she was deeply saddened with the killing as there were only about 1,500 pygmy elephants left in Sabah.
Yet some unscrupulous people were still killing the protected animal.
She hoped the culprits would be brought to justice as pygmy elephants were fully protected under the Schedule 1 of the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997.
In the meantime, Liew also hoped people 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
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