Malaysian authorities hunting killers of pygmy elephant

A Bornean pygmy elephant was found dead with at least 70 bullet wounds on its body

KAULA LUMPUR: Malaysian authorities are tracking down those responsible for the brutal killing of a Borneo pygmy elephant last week, the Malaysian Land and Natural Resources Ministry said on Tuesday.

The ministry said it was working with the police and Sabah state wildlife department after a pygmy elephant was found dead with at least 70 bullet wounds on its body, adding that the Bornean Pygmy Elephants are fully protected species in Malaysia and those involved in the killing could be prosecuted.

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The elephant had been found last week by a group of locals fishing along a river in the state's Tawau district, with the half submerged carcass being found tied to a pole near a river bank.

The elephant was estimated to be aged between 11 and 12 years old and was 1.8 metres tall and was covered with bullet wounds on its cheeks, head, body and back.

The Borneo Pygmy Elephant is a subspecies of Asian elephant found in parts of Indonesia and Malaysia on northeastern Borneo Island.