KOTA KINABALU: One of two dead Bornean pygmy elephant found in the east coast of Sabah was first spotted by tourists on a river cruise near Sungai Koyah in Kinabatangan.
Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said the sighting of the highly decomposed carcass was reported by a tourist guide who was with a group of four foreign tourists on a river cruise near Sungai Koyah on Sept 25.
The department yesterday dispatched a team to the area to carry out investigations.
"The carcass was brought to land, where a post mortem was conducted by the department's veterinary officer," he said in a statement.
Tuuga said the bull, estimated to be between 15 to 20 years old, was believed to have died or been killed three days earlier.
Initial inspection found that both tusks were missing with evidence of clean cut, he said.
"The left hindlimb was missing with sign of clean cut with sharp object. Part of the skin of the left side of the body was removed with a sharp object," added Tuuga.
No gunshot wounds were found on the body.
"Although no evidence gathered so far and in the absence of gun shot wound, it may be possible that the animal was caught in a snare trap that eventually caused it to die of exhaustion.
"Investigation is now focused on finding the possible area where the elephant died or been killed upstream the Kinabatangan river where the carcass was thrown into," said Tuuga.
On Sept 10, a male elephant calf with its tusks still intact was found dead within the plantation area in Dumpas, Tawau.
No injuries were found on its body and wilslife department team had collected internal organ samples from the calf for analysis to determine the cause of deat.