Totally protected status for Borneo pygmy elephant

Sabah upgraded the status of Borneo pygmy elephants to totally protected species, with stiffer penalties for offenders. Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said a mandatory jail sentence and higher fines awaited offenders who killed these mammals.

He said this when closing the two-day Sabah Wildlife Conservation colloquium here.

The decision to upgrade the status was based on one of the recommendations of the Borneo elephant state action plan launched on the first day of the event.

The upgrading to First Schedule Part 1 (totally protected species) carried a mandatory jail term of between six months and five years, said state Wildlife and National Parks director Dr Laurentius Ambu.

Source: New Straits Times