Image by Tim ParkinsonEncroaching plantations and rampant logging are posing a growing threat to Pygmy elephants endemic to Borneo. Fewer than 1,500 pygmy elephants currently inhabit the forests of Borneo in the Malaysian state of Sabah where clear cutting of forests for plantations and expanding human settlements are reducing the elephant feeding grounds and breeding areas.
Genetically distinct from other Asian elephants, Pygmy elephants are smaller in size, less aggressive and concentrated in their movements to northeastern Borneo. Although over the last 4 decades Sabah has lost almost half of its original forests to plantations, especially due to Malaysia’s emphasis on producing oil palm as biodiesel feedstock, it still remains one of the largest intact habitat for elephants in Asia. With a sprawl of 600,000 to 800,000 hectares, the region is deemed lucrative for plantations and continues to be under great threat from agriculture.
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Sabah confirmed the shrinking of elephant habitat after conducting Asia’s largest project involving satellite tracking of the animals to determine their movements. Raymond Alfred of the WWF’s Sabah project informed the press that, “in one day the elephant needs to have more than 200 kg of food, and if lowland forests are converted to oil palm or other uses, that will reduce the food sources for them. And we still don’t know whether they will be able to adapt to the highland forest food sources.”
Genetically distinct from other Asian elephants, Pygmy elephants are smaller in size, less aggressive and concentrated in their movements to northeastern Borneo. Although over the last 4 decades Sabah has lost almost half of its original forests to plantations, especially due to Malaysia’s emphasis on producing oil palm as biodiesel feedstock, it still remains one of the largest intact habitat for elephants in Asia. With a sprawl of 600,000 to 800,000 hectares, the region is deemed lucrative for plantations and continues to be under great threat from agriculture.
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Sabah confirmed the shrinking of elephant habitat after conducting Asia’s largest project involving satellite tracking of the animals to determine their movements. Raymond Alfred of the WWF’s Sabah project informed the press that, “in one day the elephant needs to have more than 200 kg of food, and if lowland forests are converted to oil palm or other uses, that will reduce the food sources for them. And we still don’t know whether they will be able to adapt to the highland forest food sources.”
A shrinking habitat has also been a catalyst towards heightened human-elephant conflict in the region. Almost 20 percent of elephants living in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary have suffered near-fatal injuries from illegal snares laid down by plantation workers to trap small game animals. Despite their gentle nature, the last few years has seen a significant aggressive streak in the behavior of pygmy elephants in their interaction with people.
The WWF informs that elephant communities still have a chance at maintaining viable populations if certain steps are immediately taken. Marking out and protecting corridors between habitat patches can facilitate elephant movements. Additionally, greater monitoring of critical habitats can curb disturbances from timber felling and intrusions by plantation workers. However, these steps would encourage a halt in the conversion of forests to plantations, the economics of which would create a significant conflict of interest.
Sensitive to the situation faced by the elephants and other wildlife in Borneo, the state promised in July to demarcate close to 180,000 hectares of forests for sustainable forestry in order to maintain habitats critical for the survival of orang utans, rhinoceri and pygmy elephants.
The WWF informs that elephant communities still have a chance at maintaining viable populations if certain steps are immediately taken. Marking out and protecting corridors between habitat patches can facilitate elephant movements. Additionally, greater monitoring of critical habitats can curb disturbances from timber felling and intrusions by plantation workers. However, these steps would encourage a halt in the conversion of forests to plantations, the economics of which would create a significant conflict of interest.
Sensitive to the situation faced by the elephants and other wildlife in Borneo, the state promised in July to demarcate close to 180,000 hectares of forests for sustainable forestry in order to maintain habitats critical for the survival of orang utans, rhinoceri and pygmy elephants.
