KOTA KINABALU: The reward pool for information that will lead to the capture and prosecution of elephant poachers in Sungai Udin in Tawau has increased to RM35,000, with an additional RM10,000 pledged by the Orangutan Appeal UK (OAUK) and RM5,000 by a Daily Express reader who wished to be anonymous.
OAUK Founder and Chairlady, Sue Sheward (pic), made the pledge on hearing the shocking news of the shooting dead of a 30-year-old bull elephant in Sungai Udin last week by elephant poachers.
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“I just arrived in Kota Kinabalu two days ago and heard this gruesome news from the Assistant Director of Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD), Dr Sen Nathan. He was devastated as he and his team conducted the post mortem and said that in his 25 years of working with wildlife he has never come across an act of cruelty as this” said Sue.
“As I have made a pledge to the Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, when I met him exactly last year, to help him and Sabah in conservation activities in the State, I would like to pledge RM10,000 into the reward pool for information that would lead to the successful capture and prosecution of elephant poachers of Sungai Udin Tawau.
“I hope more Malaysians can assist in capturing these cruel elephant poachers” she said.
She said she is actually here on Dr Sen’s request to assist SWD in translocating a pair of rehabilitated Orangutans from Sepilok to Tabin. The two orangutans, Ceria and Rosa, are ready to go and will be monitored during the whole release programme.
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“It is sad that Tiger, the orangutan that was released last year, managed to find its way to a plantation and had to be brought back to Sepilok,” said Sue.
The United Kingdom-based OAUK has been working with SWD for the past 20 years helping to fund various activities and staffing at Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center.
Recently OAUK pledged RM1 million for SWD’s Wildlife Rescue Unit, which includes the purchase of three new four-wheels drive (4WD) rescue vehicles for the unit . The vehicles were officially handed over to the unit in a ceremony held a few months ago here, witnessed by Deputy Chief Minister-cum-Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, Datuk Christina Liew. – Larry Ralon
