Gentle giants under threat

A female Borneon elephant with young ones spotted in a tree plantation. - Photo credit WWF-Malaysia.

KOTA KINABALU: Borneo elephants, a distinct subspecies of Asian elephants, are now classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

Primarily found in Sabah, the species, also known as the pygmy elephant, has a small population in Indonesia’s Kalimantan.

The pygmy elephants’ peaceful nature has earned them the nickname “gentle giants” and they have unfortunately lost about 60% of their forest habitat in the last 40 years, primarily due to logging and the planting of commercial oil palm, said the IUCN.

Only an estimated 1,000 are left, including 400 breeding adults.

This species is genetically unique, having separated from other elephant populations tens to hundreds of thousands of years ago.

They are smaller and have distinct skull shapes compared with mainland elephants.

According to an article in the IUCN website, the Bornean elephant’s inclusion in the Red List by its Asian Elephant Specialist Group emphasised the need for its conservation.

It highlights conservation strategies including extinction risks at various levels that are crucial for implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

“As countries gear up to meet their commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, detailed local assessments, such as the Borneo population of Asian elephants, contribute valuable case studies to learn from and replicate,” said IUCN Species Survival Commission chairman Jon Paul Rodrigues.

Asian elephants, one of three elephant species alive today, have been endangered since 1986, with about 40,000 animals across 13 southern Asian countries.

The other two species are African savanna and forest elephants.

In Borneo, the elephants play a keystone role, where they co-exist with numerous other endangered species unique to the region.

Prof Adrian Lister from London’s Natural History Museum and other experts recognise the subspecies as an “Evolutionary Significant Unit,” vital for maintaining global biodiversity.

WWF-Malaysia Elephant Conservation manager Dr Cheryl Cheah stressed the need for collaborative conservation efforts, such as managing human-elephant conflicts and preventing habitat loss.

The Red List assessment was conducted by an international team including experts from India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom and Indonesia.

Both the Malaysian and Indonesian governments have conservation plans for Borneo’s elephants, but challenges remain.

The IUCN Red List’s recognition provides strong impetus for their conservation, emphasising habitat protection, community support and anti-poaching measures to secure the future of these unique elephants.

There is also an urgent need to establish wildlife corridors through the vast oil palm plantations, joining the forested patches and allowing the elephants to roam more widely, access more food, and mingle to preserve their genetic diversity, the IUCN said.

To secure the future of these unique animals, it is essential to protect and expand their forest habitats, support local communities in minimising conflict with elephants, and enforce anti-poaching measures, it added.