On June 27, 2024, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List designated Borneo elephants as "Endangered." Borneo elephants are native to the jungles of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo and Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo.
Borneo is the world’s third-largest island, shared by Malaysia and Brunei in the north and Indonesia in the south.
This classification underscores the urgent need for conservation efforts to prevent the extinction of Borneo elephants.
Current Population and Habitat Loss:
A collaborative team from IUCN and the Asian Elephant Specialist Group (AsESG) used satellite tracking to estimate the current population of Borneo elephants at approximately 1,000 individuals, with around 400 breeding adults.
In the past four decades, over half (60%) of their forest habitat has been destroyed mainly due to logging and the expansion of commercial oil palm plantations.
Additionally, linear infrastructures like roads and human settlements have disrupted the elephants' movement between their three core habitat areas, worsening their situation.
Human-Elephant Conflict and Poaching:
The encroachment of human activities into elephant habitats has led to frequent human-elephant conflicts.
Elephants often raid crops, resulting in confrontations with local communities, sometimes leading to the killing of these animals.
Borneo elephants are also targeted by poachers for their ivory and hide, adding another significant threat to their survival.
Bornean Elephant (Elephas maximus Borneensis):
Bornean elephants are a subspecies of the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) native to the island of Borneo.
They are predominantly found in Sabah, Malaysia, and Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Genetically distinct from other Asian elephants, they are characterized by their smaller size and unique skull shape.
These herbivores live in family groups led by a matriarch and are typically found near water sources like rivers.
Protection Status of Asian Elephants:
IUCN Red List: Endangered
CITES: Appendix I
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I