Satellite signals indicate that the pygmy elephant – which only lives on the island of Borneo (the third-largest island in the world, encompassing parts of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei) – is facing the threat of extinction.
According to experts, there are currently only about 1,000 pygmy elephants remaining in the wild. It wasn’t until 2003, when DNA analysis was conducted, that scientists discovered that the pygmy elephants on Borneo are a subspecies of the Asian elephant and began to conserve them as a distinct species. Adult pygmy elephants measure only 2.4 meters in height (shorter than the Asian elephant by approximately 30-60 cm), are stockier, have a more childlike face, and possess longer tails that nearly touch the ground.
Scientists report that the primary habitat of the pygmy elephant consists of lowland areas, open grasslands, or river valleys, where local residents in Malaysia and Indonesia are actively logging or establishing oil palm plantations.
Mr. Raymond Alfred, head of the Borneo Species Program at the Wildlife Conservation Society, stated: “The immediate goal is to establish a 92,650 square-mile area in the triangle formed by the three countries of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei as a national park to conserve the pygmy elephant populations.”
A pygmy elephant (Photo: AP)
D.K.L.