Human-elephant conflict in Sabah on the rise: Expert

KOTA KINABALU: Development activities in sensitive areas, if left unchecked, may cause a marked increase in human-wildlife conflict, said elephant expert Dr Nurzhafarina Othman.

The Seratu Aatai Project founder said that human-elephant conflict in Sabah is on the rise now due to most development plans, including farming activities, did not take into account the survival needs of other living beings.

If development activities continue to be implemented in sensitive areas, such as Kinabatangan and Tawau, the human-elephant conflict will continue to happen and could have a negative impact, not only on humans, but also the pachyderm, she said.

Seratu Aatai, which means united in the Orang Sungai lingo, acts as information provider with regards to elephants, for activity organisers such as NGOs or corporate companies, so their activities or programmes will reach its objective.

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Nurzhafarina said there was a need to increase human resources and assets in agencies responsible for preserving and conserving biodiversity in Sabah, as well as efforts to enhance cooperation with various quarters, including the plantation industry, to resolve the problem.

According to Nurzhafarina, several areas gazetted as protected areas in Sabah, were not suitable for wildlife to flourish, hence contributing to the recurring human-elephant clashes.

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Citing Kinabatangan and Tawau as examples, she said the protected areas were swampy, while Maliau Basin, Imbak Canyon and Tawau Hills were hilly areas.

“The situation is aggravated during replanting season. Oil palm pith will be in abundance then, and this attracts elephants and other wild animals,” she added. She said another factor leading to human-elephant conflict is behavior of the pachyderm. The pachyderms, especially the males, are not afraid of humans, she said, thus it was up to the humans to learn to read the behavior of the animal, and live in harmony with them.

Dr Nurzhafarina said one of Saratu Aatai’s goals is also to give the community a power to help in resolving human-elephant conflicts in their own way.

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To this end, Nurzhafarina and her team are taking the initiative to educate and promote the importance of loving, protecting and conserving elephants in Sabah.

The Seratu Aatai Project has its own Facebook page which features activities carried out by non-governmental organisations such as tracking elephant movements in Kinabatangan as well as community involvement in conservation efforts.

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