KOTA KINABALU: The death of a male pygmy elephant whose carcass was found at Ladang M4, Melangking Oil Palm Plantation in Sukau, Kinabatangan, on Christmas Day, was likely due to infection or poisonous substance ingestion.
Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew said she was informed of this by the Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga.
"The animal was bloated and blood was oozing from its nostrils and mouth.
"Samples from the elephant's heart, lung, spleen, liver, stomach, kidney and small intestine have been taken for bacterial and toxicology analysis at the Chemistry Department," she said in a statement.
Liew, who is also state Tourism, Culture and Environment, said that advanced equipment could help to ascertain the cause of death.
The elephant, aged between six and eight years, was found to be in a weak condition by plantation workers.
It was dead by the time staff of the Kinabatangan Wildlife Department arrived at 3.40pm the same day, and a post-mortem was subsequently conducted on Dec 27.
A police report was lodged at the Kinabatangan District police station on Dec 26 at 8.05am. The case was being investigated under Section 37 of the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997.