KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Wildlife Department will be setting up a
wildlife rescue unit.
Funding for the unit will be from the smart
partnership formed by the department, the Malaysian Palm Oil Council
and a well-known resort in Sabah.
Department director Laurentius
Ambu said the unit would not only be the first of its kind in Sabah but
also in the country.
“The unit will be responsible for wildlife
rescue and translocation operations throughout the state.
“It
will also carry out on-site wildlife enforcement and monitoring. It will
liaise with other stakeholders such as the World Wide Fund for Nature
Malaysia and the plantation sector on other relevant wildlife
conservation activities to emphasise the importance of conservation and
promote awareness among the people through its activities,” he said in a
statement.
Meanwhile, the department’s chief field veterinarian
Dr Sen Nathan, who is involved with the unit, said a six-month-old
elephant was rescued by department staff in Lahad Datu after the animal
was spotted roaming in a Felcra plantation.
The calf, believed to
have been left behind by its mother, was handed over to the unit and
had been sent to Sandakan.
“The baby elephant was rescued in the
nick of time.
“If we had been delayed by a couple of hours, the
elephant would not have survived.
“She is now recovering well and
her appetite is good. How the baby elephant got separated from its
mother is anyone’s guess but in normal circumstances a mother elephant
would never abandon a healthy baby elephant like this one,” said Dr Sen.
“Our wildlife rangers were unable to find the mother,” he said. –
Bernama
Source : The Star
