Centre to study more on Bornean elephants

KINABATANGAN: There is much about the Bornean elephant that is unknown – their actual family structures and how group dynamics are.

As such a study is being done conducted on their social structure.

Conservation biologist Nurzhafarina Othman at the Danau Girang Field Centre is heading the study which entails actual observation on individual elephants.

She said the DNA information will also be collected on individuals via the faeces and the data will in turn help the Sabah Wildlife Department to manage the Kinabatangan elephant population.

Nurzhafarina said as elephants have lost much of their habitats due to conversion of land to agriculture, they need to zig-zag across the broken landscape to find food.

“This includes the need to cross rivers to get to feeding grounds,” she said, adding that river crossing could be quite stressful as they have to contend with strong currents and dangers of crocodiles.

She added that they have seen elephants struggling with crocodiles as they made a grab for smaller elephants.

“But we have not seen any fatality as the adult elephants would work together to protect their young,” she said.

The population of the Bornean elephants was estimated at about 1,500 in a 2002 study.

Nurzhafarina is working closely with the Elephant Conservation Unit set up by French NOG HUTAN and the Wildlife Department.