Latest news with #FarinaOthman
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Wildlife expert makes bold move to protect elephants using unconventional method: 'We need to create a consortium'
Dr. Farina Othman's unconventional plan to save the world's smallest elephants in Malaysia is also benefiting the farming communities experiencing increased conflicts with the creatures. As detailed by CNN, Dr. Othman founded the conservation organization Seratu Aatai in 2018 to raise awareness about the plight of the Bornean elephant, an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List. Extensive habitat loss — primarily due to logging and palm oil plantations — has led to more human-elephant interactions, resulting in damaged crops and buildings along with the deaths of more than 100 elephants from retribution killings and accidental poisonings. Dr. Othman told CNN that many farmers held a "not in my backyard" attitude when it came to dealing with the creatures. However, they also understood that elephants play a vital role in the natural world, acting as ecosystem engineers as they spread seeds through their droppings. That common ground served as a launching point for wildlife corridors, which can help wildlife move safely from Point A to Point B while also reducing the possibility of human-animal conflict. "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," Dr. Othman said. Now, a number of farmers are planting native trees alongside their oil palms, and they are incorporating plants elephants like to eat on the preferred corridor routes. Othman and her team also plan to educate larger plantations on sustainable farming and pest control as they eye reducing the number of unintentional poisonings. This spring, the Whitley Fund for Nature honored Dr. Othman for her "elephant-friendly" approach to fostering coexistence, which may inspire a new generation of companies and individuals to take action and invest in supporting and protecting endangered animals like the Bornean elephant. Dr. Othman hopes her efforts will ultimately result in a protected corridor network. "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 told CNN. Do you think people should be allowed to keep exotic animals as pets? Yes No It depends on the animal It depends on the person Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. In a video for the Whitley Award's April 30 event, she also shared she is "super optimistic" about the future of the Bornean elephants — and the communities near where they reside. "The road ahead is long and bumpy, but something is changing," Dr. Othman said in a letter dedicated to the elephants at the awards ceremony, where she was presented with the £50,000 prize (around $56,705). "Many people are opening their mind and most importantly their heart." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
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.'
Rakyat Post
02-05-2025
- General
- Rakyat Post
Elephant Emergency: A Conservationist's Plan To Save The Gentle Giants
Subscribe to our FREE Malaysia's biodiversity has been under threat for a long time, thanks to widespread resource harvesting as well as urban and industrial developments that encroach on habitats of wild animals. That's where wildlife conservationists like Dr. Farina Othman step in. She recently won a The species in question is the Bornean elephant, which are considered the world's smallest elephants. Native to East Malaysia, specifically the state of Sabah, there are fewer than 1,000 Bornean elephants left in the wild and they have been classified as an endangered species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List. A Bornean elephant herd. Image: Wildlife Conservation Network According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), an international non-governmental wildlife preservation organisation, Sabah This has resulted in the fragmentation of elephant populations, forcing them into small preserved forest areas like the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary. Here, native forest pockets are surrounded by vast agricultural estates within the floodplains of the Kinabatangan River. Saving the elephants will take time, money, and cooperation According to a report by In 2018, she founded the conservation organisation Seratu Aatai to raise awareness of the elephants and address the rise in human-elephant conflict. As a consequence of encroaching plantations, the elephants have come into more frequent contact with humans, which sometimes led to crops and buildings being damaged. Image: Whitley Fund for Nature This, in turn, leads to conflict between farmers and the elephants and has resulted in 131 Bornean elephants being killed between 2010 and 2020, primarily due to human-related causes such as accidental poisoning or retribution killings. Farina said although many people understand the importance of elephants to the ecosystem – such as spreading seeds – and know that they are under threat, there is still a 'not on my watch' mindset towards the animal. It's this mindset that Farina aims to change. '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 the Atlanta-based news network. She was given the Whitley Award and over RM280k for her project Farina was one of six conservationists who was given the The award, presented by UK nature charity Whitley Fund for Nature, supports grassroots conservationists in the Global South. '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. Coexistence requires a lot of teamwork For a long time, Farina's biggest challenge was getting the palm planters together, but they met each other in the middle eventually, CNN reported. '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 are planting,' she said. Farina said some farmers have agreed to plant native trees alongside their oil palms, as well as 'food chests' of plants that elephants like to eat as a way to encourage them to use the wildlife corridors. Image: Whitley Fund for Nature She and her team are also working with plantations to monitor the elephants to better understand their behaviour. This includes 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 in an effort to reduce the number of accidental poisonings. Additionally, Farina also set up a team of elephant rangers with members of the local community, who will monitor populations and help ensure palm planters will know how to interact with elephants safely. According to the CNN report, Edward Whitley, founder of Whitley Fund for Nature, said 'Her innovative project recognises the key role that oil palm companies can play in (elephant) conservation, and her connection to and love for these beautiful giants has helped empower community members to become guardians of their environment'. Image: Cede Prudente Farina is concerned that the nature of elephants might change from docile to more aggressive with the rise of human-elephant interaction. But, she hopes that this could be avoided through their work to build forest corridors and community outreach. When an encounter does happen, she says that people should act calmly and kindly, and that elephants will respond in the same way. 'I believe that they can really read your heart and what is in your mind,' she said as she recalls times when elephants could have hurt her in the past, but didn't. Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.
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.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The world's smallest elephants are facing extinction. One woman has a plan to save them
Editor's Note: Call to Earth is a CNN editorial series committed to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. Rolex's Perpetual Planet Initiative has partnered with CNN to drive awareness and education around key sustainability issues and to inspire positive action. 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. 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. 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.
