Our Sites

More
UPDATED EVERY 5 MINUTES
The Star Online
News
Business
Sport
Metro
Tech
Lifestyle
Opinion
Videos
Property
Jobs
Autos
More
Nation
Home > News > Nation
Thursday, 11 August 2016 | MYT 3:56 PM
Bornean elephant has backwards-pointing tusks
by ruben sario
The unique bull elephant with its tusks pointing backwards.
The unique bull elephant with its tusks pointing backwards.
Popular Now in News
Fireman shocked to discover father, brother among dead accident victims
Sanjeevan arrested over extortion of gaming centre
Dubai plane crash survivor hits $1mil jackpot
Tengku Adnan wants stop to registering Parti Pribumi for using word 'Bersatu
'
I want to go home, says Japanese stranded in Sabah
KOTA KINABALU: A unique Bornean bull elephant with its tusks pointing backwards
is causing a stir among wildlife rangers sent to translocate it from a plantatio
n in Sabah s east coast.
The Wildlife Department s Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU) rangers spotted the 20-year-b
ull elephant near the Felda Umas plantation in Tawau Thursday.
Department assistant director Dr Sen Nathan said it was only the second such ele
phant he had seen with tasks pointing backwards.
It s very unusual, he said, adding that the elephant could be part of a herd from ce
ntral Sabah that eventually moved towards the east coast.
Wildlife officials are discussing with other experts about the possible cause of
the unusual tusks, including in-breeding.
Dr Sen said the bull elephant is among three pachyderms that the WRU is transloc
ating from the plantation to an undisclosed location.
Department director William Baya said human-elephant conflicts have been on the

increase in recent years at elephant habitat areas in the central and south east
ern parts of Sabah, including Sandakan, Kinabatangan, Beluran, Lahad Datu, Tawau
, Nabawan and Pensiangan.
Coupled with a probable increase in elephant population, this will further incre
ase the fragmentation and nett loss of suitable elephant habitats, he added.
A 2008 survey showed that the Sabah elephant population stood at 2,000 heads.
He said translocating the elephants is not a permanent solution because there ha
ve been instances when some animals that were moved made their way back to cause
more conflict in the area where they were caught.
Tags / Keywords: elephant , tusks , borneo
3%
12%
46%
27%
6%
6%
Related Stories
Customs seize over RM10mil worth of ivory pieces
Precious memories: (From left) Blanche, Chong, Chan and Dr Lim at the launch
of North Borneo: A Collective History in Kota Kinabalu.
Pictorial book reflects on Sabah s past
Dept: Snake bite may have killed elephant calf
Disturbing discovery: A woman looking at the carcass of the elephant with it
s tusks missing at the bank of Pedu Lake in Kedah.
Jumbo death stirs up big flap
Amir inspecting the carcass of the elephant, believed to have been killed by
poachers. - Bernama
Carcass of de-tusked elephant found near Tasik Pedu
You May Be Interested
A picture shows a Boeing 777 of the UAE airliner Emirates after it caught fire f
ollowing a crash-landing at Dubai airport on August 3, 2016. -AFP filepic
Dubai plane crash survivor hits $1mil jackpot
No Go: No Pokemon signs being put up at the St Anne s Church in Bukit Mertajam to de
ter Pokemon Go players from trespassing.
Pokemon hunters are going too far
Online backlash: Netizens, many of them Chinese, bombarded Horton's social media

accounts after he called Chinese swimming rival Sun Yang a "drug cheat" before
they competed in Saturday's men's 400 metres freestyle final, demanding that he
apologise.
Reuters
Australia deletes thousands of comments on Horton's...
Just a little longer: If you didn t pre-order the phone then you will have to wait
until September to get the device.
AFP
Local launch of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 delayed
Property slowdown: Potential buyers checking out properties at a recent property
fair. For the last couple of months, there has been pressure on banks to relax
lending rules to boost the property sector.
Options for first time house buyers
Car scams thrive on low prices
Others Also Read
Thrill-seeking with an altitude
Proud moment: Cheong, Leow and Jun Yeng watching a video of Jun Hoong and Pandel
ela in action during the women s 10m platform synchro.
Jun Hoong diver with the winning touch
File picture
One sen for your thoughts
advertisement
Latest News
Najib visits Pandikar Amin in Serdang Hospital
U.N. Security Council to discuss Ukraine-Russia
Zambians vote for new president amid tension as
Delight for family as Federal Court spares life
Clinton to release 2015 tax returns within days

tensions on Thursday
economy struggles
of Viet woman
- reports

Most Viewed
Pokemon hunters are going too far
I want to go home, says Japanese stranded in Sabah
A silver splash

and now for gold

New rules affect Nazir Razak's future as CIMB chairman

Tengku Adnan wants stop to registering Parti Pribumi for using word 'Bersatu
'
Syed Saddiq discusses Parti Pribumi
18-year-old solves Rubik s Cube in only 7.08s
Rashid Hussain's wife is in late forties, not 19
Pandelela, Jun Hoong to receive life-long pensions
Cat lover mauled by enraged feline

Trending in Food
10 weird and fun ways to eat a watermelon
Meet the matchmaker of whisky and food
South Korean women like these low-alcohol drinks
She had to learn to cook... or starve
Go potty over clams and mussels at Two Sons
Powered by
advertisement
advertisement
site map
Home
Videos
News
Business
Sport
Metro
Lifestyle
Tech
Opinion
subscriptions
The Star newspaper
Other Publications
RSS Feeds
other editions
ePaper
Mobile
SMS Services
Magazines
Kuntum
company info
About Us
Contact Us
Job Opportunities
Investor Relations
FAQs
Advertising
View Our Rate Card
Policies
Privacy Statement
Terms of Use
our sites
Star2.com
myStarjob.com
Carsifu
StarProperty.my
Propwall
iBilik
R.AGE
mStar
Kuali
Leaderonomics
TheStarTV.com

StarCherish.com
Search The Star Online
Connect with us
Content Partner
Our Radio Stations
Copyright 1995-2016 Star Media Group Berhad (ROC 10894D)