Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Wildlife Department (JHL), in collaboration with key stakeholders, is set to launch an in-enclosure elephant management plan in the state. This initiative coincides with a symposium on pygmy elephant conservation efforts, scheduled to commence on April 9.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the action plan details essential strategies and measures for effectively managing elephants in captivity within the region. The symposium aims to gather stakeholders, government agencies, the public, and non-governmental organizations involved in wildlife conservation, with around 100 participants expected to attend.

The three-day event will also focus on reviewing the implementation of the Bornean Elephant Action Plan (BEAP) 2020-2029 for the upcoming five years, including potential revisions or updates to the current framework. In 2020, the Sabah government greenlit the BEAP 2020-2029, a 10-year plan designed to ensure the species’ long-term survival and avert their extinction. The plan, approved by the state Cabinet, seeks to conserve Sabah’s elephant population, which is estimated to be between 1,500 and 2,000.

JHL believes that the symposium will act as a platform to reassess the effectiveness of conservation efforts under the BEAP 2020-2029, ensuring that management strategies are in line with contemporary challenges. There is hope that the symposium will build consensus among stakeholders, reinforcing their commitment to executing the plan’s outlined actions and securing the long-term sustainability of Bornean elephants.

Bornean elephants, also known as Bornean pygmy elephants, are classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species due to their small and declining population. This subspecies of the Asian elephant is characterized by its smaller size, with males reaching up to 2.5 meters compared to the mainland Asian elephant’s 3 meters.

The Asian elephant was declared endangered on the IUCN Red List in an assessment dated September 18, 2019, and published in 2020. Meanwhile, the Bornean elephant subspecies was declared endangered in an assessment on November 17 of the previous year and published the same year.