Snare traps remain a threat to Sabah wildlife
Bath time: A WRU ranger caring for Taburi at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.
KOTA KINABALU: It has been almost three years but Taburi the elephant is still bearing the scar from a leg wound she suffered after getting tangled in a wire snare.
Taburi was a calf of just about 1.2m in height when she was discovered by estate workers who heard her cries at an oil palm estate in Lahad Datu.
They found the calf, scared and injured, and called the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) which sent a team from the Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU).
The calf was brought to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre where round-the-clock attention was given by WRU rangers.
Given the name Taburi, the elephant has since been thriving in the wildlife sanctuary it now calls home.
WRU, in a Facebook post yesterday to highlight the dangers of snares, said Taburi was one of the 'lucky' ones as many other animals did not survive.
'Snare traps are cruel and indiscriminate. It takes only a single wire to destroy a life. Most victims are never seen. They die hidden, alone, and in pain,' it said.
The rescue unit said Taburi's story is a call to action.
'Say no to snare traps. Support wildlife conservation and protection efforts. Let's make our forests safe again. Every life matters. Every trap removed saves a future,' said WRU.
SWD director Soffian Abu Bakar said snare traps remain a threat to wildlife in Sabah.
Throughout the years of operations against these traps, he said community rangers have found that there are a number of active traps in the jungles.
'We have also found traps set up for birds,' he said when contacted.
Soffian said the department would continue to deal with issues linked to poaching through initiatives such as hiring community rangers and collaborating with other agencies to fight against wildlife crime.
'We have community rangers employed under the Biodiversity Protection and Patrolling Programme (BP3) working with our department officials and rangers,' he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
Snare traps remain a threat to Sabah wildlife
Bath time: A WRU ranger caring for Taburi at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. KOTA KINABALU: It has been almost three years but Taburi the elephant is still bearing the scar from a leg wound she suffered after getting tangled in a wire snare. Taburi was a calf of just about 1.2m in height when she was discovered by estate workers who heard her cries at an oil palm estate in Lahad Datu. They found the calf, scared and injured, and called the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) which sent a team from the Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU). The calf was brought to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre where round-the-clock attention was given by WRU rangers. Given the name Taburi, the elephant has since been thriving in the wildlife sanctuary it now calls home. WRU, in a Facebook post yesterday to highlight the dangers of snares, said Taburi was one of the 'lucky' ones as many other animals did not survive. 'Snare traps are cruel and indiscriminate. It takes only a single wire to destroy a life. Most victims are never seen. They die hidden, alone, and in pain,' it said. The rescue unit said Taburi's story is a call to action. 'Say no to snare traps. Support wildlife conservation and protection efforts. Let's make our forests safe again. Every life matters. Every trap removed saves a future,' said WRU. SWD director Soffian Abu Bakar said snare traps remain a threat to wildlife in Sabah. Throughout the years of operations against these traps, he said community rangers have found that there are a number of active traps in the jungles. 'We have also found traps set up for birds,' he said when contacted. Soffian said the department would continue to deal with issues linked to poaching through initiatives such as hiring community rangers and collaborating with other agencies to fight against wildlife crime. 'We have community rangers employed under the Biodiversity Protection and Patrolling Programme (BP3) working with our department officials and rangers,' he added.
New Straits Times
29-05-2025
- New Straits Times
3,000 community rangers to strengthen forest and wildlife protection
GEORGE TOWN: The Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry (NRES) will increase the number of community rangers to 3,000 this year under the Biodiversity Protection and Patrolling Programme (BP3), to curb illegal activities involving wildlife and forests. NRES secretary-general Datuk Dr Ching Thoo said the new appointments, comprising mainly members of the Orang Asli community as well as veterans of the armed forces and police, aim to strengthen protection efforts against encroachment in permanent forest reserves nationwide. "With the RM80 million allocation received this year, we plan to appoint up to 3,000 community rangers. "The impact has been positive so far, with reports indicating a clear reduction in illegal activities, especially poaching," he told reporters after launching the Jelajah Kelestarian Alam 2.0 programme at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) yesterday. "BP3 enables us to monitor forests more effectively and combat threats such as encroachment, illegal logging and poaching," he added. The programme, jointly organised by NRES, the Sultan Mizan Antarctic Research Foundation and the Department of Environment (DOE), drew over 250 participants, including USM vice-chancellor Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamed and DOE director-general Datuk Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar. Meanwhile, Ching urged residents affected by wildlife disturbances that damage property or crops to apply for the Property and Crop Damage Compensation (BKHT). He said RM10 million was allocated for the programme last year, but only 10 percent was disbursed due to the low number of applications. "BKHT was introduced last year to assist victims facing significant losses due to human-wildlife conflicts. "The initiative will continue this year with an additional RM1.5 million," he said. He said the ministry is reviewing a proposal to increase the BKHT payout rate from 50 percent to 60 percent of the reported damages to better support affected individuals. "Based on records, most of these claims involve elephant-related damages, especially in Johor, Kelantan and Pahang. "There are also reports involving monkeys, though to a lesser extent," he said. – Bernama
Barnama
29-05-2025
- Barnama
NRES To Deploy 3,000 Community Rangers To Enhance Forest And Wildlife Protection
GEORGE TOWN, May 29 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) will increase the number of community rangers to 3,000 this year under the Biodiversity Protection and Patrolling Programme (BP3), to curb illegal activities involving wildlife and forests. NRES secretary-general Datuk Dr Ching Thoo said the new appointments, comprising mainly members of the Orang Asli community as well as veterans of the Malaysian Armed Forces and Royal Malaysia Police, aim to strengthen protection efforts against encroachment in permanent forest reserves nationwide. 'With the RM80 million allocation received this year, we plan to appoint up to 3,000 community rangers. The impact has been positive so far, with reports indicating a clear reduction in illegal activities, especially poaching,' he told reporters after launching the Jelajah Kelestarian Alam 2.0 programme at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) today. 'BP3 enables us to monitor forests more effectively and combat threats such as encroachment, illegal logging and poaching,' he added. The programme, jointly organised by NRES, the Sultan Mizan Antarctic Research Foundation and the Department of Environment (DOE), drew over 250 participants, including USM vice-chancellor Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamed and DOE director-general Datuk Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar. Meanwhile, Ching urged residents affected by wildlife disturbances that damage property or crops to apply for the Property and Crop Damage Compensation (BKHT). He said RM10 million was allocated for the programme last year, but only 10 percent was disbursed due to the low number of applications. 'BKHT was introduced last year to assist victims facing significant losses due to human-wildlife conflicts. The initiative will continue this year with an additional RM1.5 million,' he said. He added that the ministry is reviewing a proposal to increase the BKHT payout rate from 50 percent to 60 percent of the reported damages to better support affected individuals.
