Rescuing the poor calf.
KOTA KINABALU: Effort on the part of the team from the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) and Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU) to save an elephant calf from its near watery grave at Melangking in Sukau, Kinabatangan on Dec 27, is commendable, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew.
She said a five-member team from SWD, WRU and Melangking Oil-Palm Plantation (MOPP) led by veterinarian Dr Navanita Roopan, was involved in the calf rescue work.
“The team received a report that an elephant calf had fallen into a drain and got trapped under a broken bridge. The team immediately rushed to the spot to check out the situation. The rescuers managed to physically pull out the calf from the hole with no possible moving space.
“In doing their best, their speedy action had saved the poor calf from losing its life. It did not sustain any severe injury. The calf was released to the mother elephant.
“Keep up the good work in saving elephants in need. We hope to see more concerted effort in this direction,” Liew, who is also Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, said in a statement yesterday.
When the team arrived at the location, they found the mother elephant and its herd helplessly surrounding the spot. Without delay, the elephants were scared away to a distance for the calf’s safety.
A nearby plantation offered a backhoe to assist the rescue team but due to delay, the team decided to conduct the rescue work themselves as the calf, mother elephant and herd were getting stressed.