KOTA KINABALU: A juvenile elephant was found dead three days ago near an abandoned logging camp of Top Merchant in the Kuamut Forest Reserve in Kinabatangan.
The discovery of the elephant carcass took place the same day Sabah Wildlife Department rangers successfully captured a bull elephant in Ulu Muanad, Beluran.
The department public relation officer Siti Nur’Ain Ampuan Acheh, in a statement today, said Yayasan Sabah and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Rakyat Berjaya Sdn Bhd (RBJ), which managed its forest concession area, alerted the finding to wildlife department.
“A team from the wildlife department was sent to the scene to investigate and conduct post mortem to determine the cause of death.
“The elephant was estimated to be between five and eight-years-old. Its ivory was still intact, and it was believed that the elephant died three to four days ago (prior to its discovery),” she said.
Siti said the post-mortem revealed the elephant suffered from a severe crack on its left region of the skull which led to its death.
The injury was most likely a result of a fight with a larger elephant in its herd, she added.