Latest news with #2025WhitleyAward
Daily Express
26-05-2025
- General
- Daily Express
Award-winning conservationist unites Bornean elephants and humans
Published on: Monday, May 26, 2025 Published on: Mon, May 26, 2025 By: Bernama Text Size: Nurzhafarina Othman is one of six conservationists worldwide to receive the 2025 Whitley Award. (Bernama pic) Kota Kinabalu: Deep in the lush forests of Borneo lies a story not just about conflict, but about the coexistence of humans and elephants learning to share the same land. Malaysian elephant conservationist Nurzhafarina Othman said one could spend a lifetime studying the Bornean elephant ('Elephas maximus borneensis'), and yet still miss half the story if one doesn't also listen to the humans who live alongside them. According to the 2025 Whitley Award recipient, protecting Bornean elephants requires balance, and success lies not only in understanding the science of conservation but also in connecting with the hearts of local communities who have long hosted these gentle giants. 'We can't focus only on the elephants,' she said. 'They're actually easier to learn about: they don't change their minds easily, so they're easier to understand. 'Humans, on the other hand, can be supportive one day and change the next. But they're not just bystanders, they're key players … so, we're trying to balance both approaches to ensure we achieve meaningful conservation.' Nurzhafarina, a senior lecturer at the Tropical Biology and Conservation Institute at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), was recently honoured with the UK award also known as the 'Green Oscar', presented by the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN). Advertisement The prize, which recognises her efforts in protecting the Bornean elephant, comes with a £50,000 grant (about RM287,000), and was presented by WFN patron Princess Anne at the Royal Geographical Society in London on April 30. 'This award comes with great responsibility,' she told Bernama. 'I am grateful to the Whitley platform because it opens up more opportunities for me to share the story of the Bornean elephants. It also gives confidence to everyone working in the field that we are truly on the right path.' Asked by FMT Lifestyle if she had any thoughts on the recent case involving a young elephant that died in a collision on the East-West Highway, she replied: 'I don't have much to say except that it is heartbreaking, and it's not the first case. In Sabah, we must do more to prevent roads from cutting through key wildlife areas. 'It doesn't matter who's behind the development: agencies must take responsibility and invest in real measures to protect elephants and other species.' Hearts united to save elephants Nurzhafarina highlighted that Bornean elephants are listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List due to their small and declining population. The founder and director of Seratu Aatai, a non-profit organisation whose name means 'united hearts', estimates that only around 250 of them remain in Sabah. According to the IUCN, Bornean elephants have lost 60% of their forest habitat in the past four decades owing to logging and palm-oil cultivation. In working with communities affected by elephant-related issues, Nurzhafarina's team found that many locals are unsure what to do when elephants enter their areas. 'These people's crops, like oil palm, are their main source of income. When fear sets in, we need to stand with them, help them understand, and work together to find solutions,' Nurzhafarina explained. Seratu Aatai plays a vital role in bringing together all stakeholders and nurturing a more positive outlook by shifting how people perceive elephants. Nurzhafarina's goal is to help communities accept that elephants 'belong to everyone' and are part of their shared environment. 'We often hear about human-elephant conflict, and we want to change the way people see that issue. Awareness does not instantly lead to action. We need to walk alongside them, learning together what works and what doesn't. 'We try to be the bridge between voices that often go unheard and those with more resources, like government agencies or global organisations such as WFN. Together, we run programmes with communities to understand elephant behaviour, track their movements, and guide them to safer areas.' Nurzhafarina stressed that solutions must be holistic – it's not simply a matter of relocating the elephants elsewhere. 'We don't want an 'as long as it's not in my backyard' mindset. Instead, everyone should tackle this as a shared responsibility.' According to her, one of the biggest challenges faced by communities is lack of resources. Many affected villagers are smallholders surrounded by large oil-palm estates that can afford infrastructure like electric fencing or drainage systems. But elephants are more likely to enter small farms, making it essential for big industry players, especially owners of large plantations, to share responsibility in addressing the problem. 'Communities must also be given the tools and support to implement effective protection strategies. Unfortunately, most of them just can't afford to do that on their own,' she pointed out. Previous studies by her team show that the people of Sabah understand the root causes of this conflict and genuinely value elephants. But their biggest concern remains the issue of elephants entering their living areas. Nurzhafarina, who is among six conservationists worldwide to receive the 2025 Whitley Award, said the situation calls for a more comprehensive approach. 'We need to help communities understand that elephant habitats are shrinking. The solution requires collaboration from everyone … we need to work on a larger scale, beyond isolated efforts.' Still, she acknowledges that bringing all stakeholders together with a shared vision remains a challenge – one that will require ongoing cooperation, trust and empathy. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Barnama
17-05-2025
- Science
- Barnama
Bridging Worlds: Nurzhafarina's Mission To Unite Communities And Endangered Bornean Elephants
KOTA KINABALU, May 17 (Bernama) -- Deep in the lush forests of Borneo lies a story not just about conflict, but about the coexistence of humans and elephants learning to share the same land. Much like finding the perfect recipe, conserving Bornean elephants requires balance. According to the 2025 Whitley Award recipient, success lies not only in understanding the science of conservation, but also in connecting with the hearts of the local communities who have long hosted these gentle giants. In an exclusive interview with Bernama, Dr Nurzhafarina Othman, a leading Malaysian elephant conservationist, said one could spend a lifetime studying the Bornean elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis) - the way they move, eat and live, yet still miss half the story if we don't also listen to the people who live alongside them. It's a journey of understanding between two worlds, woven into the complex rhythm of life. Nurzhafarina, a Senior Lecturer at the Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), was recently honoured with the 2025 Whitley Award, also known as the 'Green Oscar', presented by the United Kingdom-based Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN). 'Humans, on the other hand, can be supportive one day and change the next. But they're not just bystanders, they're key players in this ongoing conservation story. So we're trying to balance both approaches to ensure we achieve meaningful conservation,' she said. 'Conservation must happen on two levels. We need to understand elephants, and at the same time, we need to understand people. We can't focus only on the elephants. They're actually easier to learn about. They don't change their minds easily, so they're easier to understand. The prestigious award recognises her tireless efforts in protecting the Bornean elephant and comes with a grant of £50,000 (about RM287,000), presented by WFN Patron Princess Anne at the Royal Geographical Society, London, on April 30. Nurzhafarina, who is also the founder and director of 'Seratu Aatai', a non-profit organisation whose name means 'united hearts', said the Bornean elephants are listed as 'Endangered' on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List due to their small and declining population. She estimates that only around 250 of them remain in Sabah. She said that in working with communities affected by elephant-related issues, her team found that many locals often felt isolated and unsure of what to do when elephants entered their areas. 'Imagine, these elephants are huge, and the people don't know what to do. Their crops, like oil palm, are their main source of income. When fear sets in, we need to stand with them, help them understand and work together to find solutions,' Nurzhafarina said. As such, she said Seratu Aatai plays a vital role in 'uniting hearts', bringing together all stakeholders and nurturing a more positive outlook on conservation by shifting how people perceive elephants. She said elephants are often viewed as the responsibility of the government, NGOs or institutions like UMS, but in truth, they belong to everyone, especially the communities living closest to them. Her goal is to help communities see that elephants are part of their shared environment. 'We often hear about human-elephant conflict, but we want to change the way people see that issue. Awareness doesn't instantly lead to action. We need to walk alongside them, learning together what works and what doesn't. We're always listening. 'We try to be the bridge between voices that often go unheard and those with more resources, like government agencies or global organisations such as WFN. Together, we run programmes with communities to understand elephant behaviour, track their movements and guide them to safer areas,' she said. She said solutions must be holistic, not just relocating problems elsewhere. 'We don't want a mindset of 'as long as it's not in my backyard'. Instead, we want everyone to unite in tackling this as a shared responsibility,' Nurzhafarina said. According to Nurzhafarina, one of the biggest challenges communities face is a lack of resources. Many affected villagers are smallholders surrounded by large oil palm estates that can afford infrastructure like electric fencing or drainage systems. As a result, elephants are more likely to enter small farms, making it essential for big industry players, especially large plantation owners, to share responsibility in addressing the issue, she said. 'While law enforcement is important, communities must also be given the tools and support to implement effective protection strategies. Unfortunately, most of them just can't afford to do that on their own,' she added. She said previous studies by her team showed that the people of Sabah do understand the root causes of this conflict and genuinely value elephants. However, their biggest concern is the elephants entering their living areas. Nurzhafarina said the situation calls for a more comprehensive approach. 'We need to help communities understand that elephant habitats are shrinking. The solution requires collaboration from everyone, not just smallholders, but also large landowners. We need to work on a larger scale, beyond isolated efforts,' she stressed. Still, she acknowledged that bringing all stakeholders together with a shared vision remains a challenge, and one that will require ongoing cooperation, trust and empathy. -- BERNAMA BERNAMA provides up-to-date authentic and comprehensive news and information which are disseminated via BERNAMA Wires; BERNAMA TV on Astro 502, unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 channels and BERNAMA Radio on FM93.9 (Klang Valley), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM107.9 (Kota Kinabalu) and FM100.9 (Kuching) frequencies. Follow us on social media : Facebook : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatv, @bernamaradio Twitter : @ @BernamaTV, @bernamaradio Instagram : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatvofficial, @bernamaradioofficial TikTok : @bernamaofficial
The Star
05-05-2025
- General
- The Star
Sabah's elephant champion
Collective effort: Farina (centre) posing with members of her team. The conservationist says the Whitley Award is not just for her, but for everyone working to protect Sabah's elephants. — Pic from the Whitley Fund for Nature KOTA KINABALU: Dr Farina Othman's life changed when she came up close and personal with the Bornean elephant. It all began when she moved from Alor Setar to further her studies in conservation biology at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). On assignment, she realised her calling was to protect the Bornean elephant, which has defined the past 17 years of her life. Her long journey was recognised on the global stage when she received the 2025 Whitley Award – one of the world's most prestigious conservation prizes – for her work to protect the endangered Bornean elephant. 'Winning the Whitley Award is incredibly meaningful. It's a personal affirmation that the struggles and sacrifices in this work matter,' she said after receiving the award from the UK's Princess Anne at the Royal Geographical Society in London on April 30. Farina, now a senior lecturer at UMS, started her conservation career in 2008 at the Danau Girang Field Centre. A decade later, she founded Seratu Aatai – which means 'solidarity' – a non-profit organisation rooted in community-based conservation in Kinabatangan. Bornean elephants are the smallest subspecies of Asian elephants and genetically distinct, with fewer than 1,000 remaining in the wild. Around 300 can be found in the Kinabatangan region, where forest fragmentation from logging and oil palm cultivation has brought wildlife into closer contact with people. 'My real dream is to see elephants truly become part of our landscape again – not something we fear or push away, but something we live with and respect,' she said. The Whitley Award comes with £50,000 (RM287,000), which will be used to help her team create safe corridors across oil palm estates, carry out behavioural research and support the work of trained community honorary wildlife wardens. Her approach is based on humility and empathy. She works directly with plantation workers, independent smallholders and local schools – training communities to identify individual elephants, track herd movements and find ways to reduce conflict without harm. 'Conflict is something we can't completely avoid. Even between people, there are disagreements,' she added. 'I'm doing this because I see injustice in how we treat the environment, and how that creates conflict for both people and animals. 'This work feels more like a calling.' She said the award isn't hers alone, but belongs to everyone in Kinabatangan and Sabah working towards peaceful coexistence. 'I'll feel proud when I meet my Creator and can say, 'I tried my best, with what I had, to protect your other creations.'
CNN
30-04-2025
- General
- CNN
The world's smallest elephants are facing extinction. One woman has a plan to save them
The world's smallest elephants are still big. Measuring around nine feet (2.7 meters) tall, Bornean elephants are the smallest subspecies of the Asian elephant, and are two feet (60 centimeters) shorter than their African counterparts. Found only on the island of Borneo, mostly in the Malaysian state of Sabah, there are fewer than 1,000 Bornean elephants left in the wild, and they are classified as endangered. In the last 40 years, Sabah has lost 60% of the elephant's natural forest habitat to logging and palm oil plantations. According to one study, between 1980 and 2000, more wood was exported from Borneo than from the entirety of Africa and the Amazon combined. This has left elephant populations fragmented and squeezed into small areas of preserved forest, such as those in the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, an area in the floodplains of the Kinabatangan River where pockets of native forest exist within large agricultural estates. But Malaysian elephant ecologist Dr. Farina Othman is determined to connect these habitats by building corridors of wild trees through palm oil plantations. She founded conservation organization Seratu Aatai, meaning 'solidarity,' in 2018 to raise awareness of the elephants and address the rise in human-elephant conflict. Due to encroaching plantations, the elephants have come into more frequent contact with humans, sometimes damaging crops and buildings. This leads to conflict, and between 2010 and 2020, 131 Bornean elephants were killed, primarily due to human-related causes, such as accidental poisoning or retribution killings. Othman said that while many people understand the importance of elephants as ecosystem engineers through spreading seeds, and know that they are under threat, there is still a 'not in my backyard' attitude towards them. It became her goal to change this mindset. 'Who else can take that responsibility? I'm Malaysian, so I think it's time for me to also try to educate and raise awareness,' she told CNN. Related article Meet the conservationist saving gorillas in Uganda's 'impenetrable forest' On Wednesday, she was one of six conservationists given the 2025 Whitley Award, which includes a £50,000 ($66,000) prize for her project. The award, presented by the Whitley Fund for Nature, a UK charity, supports grassroots conservationists in the Global South. Othman will put the new funding towards expanding the network of elephant corridors across Sabah. 'If only one plantation wants to do this, it won't work. We need to create a consortium of several plantations so that we can connect this corridor back to the wildlife sanctuary,' she said. The first challenge was getting the farmers on side. For a long time, Othman said she was unable to get palm planters in the same room with her, but eventually, they found common ground. 'As planters, they actually know the need of preserving biodiversity and also the health of the soil, because this is all contributing back to the trees that they're planting,' she said. Related article Rhinos went extinct in Uganda 40 years ago. Now, a private ranch is home to almost 50 She added that some farmers have now agreed to plant native trees alongside their oil palms, as well as 'food chests' of plants that elephants like to eat, to encourage them to use the wildlife corridors. Othman and her team are now working with plantations to monitor the elephants to better understand their behavior. This will include training planters on how to assess herd dynamics and recognize individual elephants. Larger plantations will also be offered sessions on sustainable farming and pest control, hopefully helping to reduce the number of accidental poisonings. She has also set up a team of elephant rangers, with members of the local community, who will monitor populations and help to ensure palm planters know how to interact with elephants safely. Edward Whitley, founder of the Whitley Fund for Nature, said of Othman: 'Her innovative project recognizes the key role that oil palm companies can play in (elephant) conservation, and her connection to and love of these beautiful giants has helped empower community members to become guardians of their environment.' Othman worries that with the rise of human-elephant interaction, the nature of the elephants might change, from docile to more aggressive. But she hopes that through their work to build forest corridors and community outreach, this can be avoided. When an encounter does happen, she says people should act calmly and kindly, and that the elephants will respond in the same way. She recalls times when elephants could have hurt her in the past, but didn't. 'I believe that they can really read your heart and what is in your mind,' she said.
CNN
30-04-2025
- General
- CNN
The world's smallest elephants are facing extinction. One woman has a plan to save them
The world's smallest elephants are still big. Measuring around nine feet (2.7 meters) tall, Bornean elephants are the smallest subspecies of the Asian elephant, and are two feet (60 centimeters) shorter than their African counterparts. Found only on the island of Borneo, mostly in the Malaysian state of Sabah, there are fewer than 1,000 Bornean elephants left in the wild, and they are classified as endangered. In the last 40 years, Sabah has lost 60% of the elephant's natural forest habitat to logging and palm oil plantations. According to one study, between 1980 and 2000, more wood was exported from Borneo than from the entirety of Africa and the Amazon combined. This has left elephant populations fragmented and squeezed into small areas of preserved forest, such as those in the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, an area in the floodplains of the Kinabatangan River where pockets of native forest exist within large agricultural estates. But Malaysian elephant ecologist Dr. Farina Othman is determined to connect these habitats by building corridors of wild trees through palm oil plantations. She founded conservation organization Seratu Aatai, meaning 'solidarity,' in 2018 to raise awareness of the elephants and address the rise in human-elephant conflict. Due to encroaching plantations, the elephants have come into more frequent contact with humans, sometimes damaging crops and buildings. This leads to conflict, and between 2010 and 2020, 131 Bornean elephants were killed, primarily due to human-related causes, such as accidental poisoning or retribution killings. Othman said that while many people understand the importance of elephants as ecosystem engineers through spreading seeds, and know that they are under threat, there is still a 'not in my backyard' attitude towards them. It became her goal to change this mindset. 'Who else can take that responsibility? I'm Malaysian, so I think it's time for me to also try to educate and raise awareness,' she told CNN. Related article Meet the conservationist saving gorillas in Uganda's 'impenetrable forest' On Wednesday, she was one of six conservationists given the 2025 Whitley Award, which includes a £50,000 ($66,000) prize for her project. The award, presented by the Whitley Fund for Nature, a UK charity, supports grassroots conservationists in the Global South. Othman will put the new funding towards expanding the network of elephant corridors across Sabah. 'If only one plantation wants to do this, it won't work. We need to create a consortium of several plantations so that we can connect this corridor back to the wildlife sanctuary,' she said. The first challenge was getting the farmers on side. For a long time, Othman said she was unable to get palm planters in the same room with her, but eventually, they found common ground. 'As planters, they actually know the need of preserving biodiversity and also the health of the soil, because this is all contributing back to the trees that they're planting,' she said. Related article Rhinos went extinct in Uganda 40 years ago. Now, a private ranch is home to almost 50 She added that some farmers have now agreed to plant native trees alongside their oil palms, as well as 'food chests' of plants that elephants like to eat, to encourage them to use the wildlife corridors. Othman and her team are now working with plantations to monitor the elephants to better understand their behavior. This will include training planters on how to assess herd dynamics and recognize individual elephants. Larger plantations will also be offered sessions on sustainable farming and pest control, hopefully helping to reduce the number of accidental poisonings. She has also set up a team of elephant rangers, with members of the local community, who will monitor populations and help to ensure palm planters know how to interact with elephants safely. Edward Whitley, founder of the Whitley Fund for Nature, said of Othman: 'Her innovative project recognizes the key role that oil palm companies can play in (elephant) conservation, and her connection to and love of these beautiful giants has helped empower community members to become guardians of their environment.' Othman worries that with the rise of human-elephant interaction, the nature of the elephants might change, from docile to more aggressive. But she hopes that through their work to build forest corridors and community outreach, this can be avoided. When an encounter does happen, she says people should act calmly and kindly, and that the elephants will respond in the same way. She recalls times when elephants could have hurt her in the past, but didn't. 'I believe that they can really read your heart and what is in your mind,' she said.
