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Daily Express
28-05-2025
- Science
- Daily Express
Kinabatangan woman's bond with jumbos wins recognition
Published on: Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Published on: Wed, May 28, 2025 By: Bernama Text Size: Nurzhafarina receiving the 2025 Whitley Fund for Nature award from WFN patron Princess Anne at the Royal Geographical Society in London April 30. (Pic: Facebook/Seratu Aatai) Kota Kinabalu: It was as if destiny had written her path. For over two decades, Nurzhafarina Othman's life journey in Sabah has been deeply intertwined with the majestic presence of the Bornean elephant, particularly within the lush, tropical rainforests of the Lower Kinabatangan. What began in 2003 as a decision to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Conservation Biology at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) unexpectedly opened the door to an entirely new world, one that allowed her to understand, in a profoundly holistic way, the ecology, social structure and behaviour of the largest land mammal in South-east Asia. The native of Kedah has since dedicated her life to studying every aspect of the Bornean elephant's life cycle as a senior lecturer at the UMS Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, playing a vital role in the conservation of these gentle giants, whose future is increasingly threatened. Her journey is even more inspiring with her leadership as the founder and director of Seratu Aatai, a non-profit dedicated to elephant conservation, an unwavering commitment that earned global recognition in April when she was awarded the prestigious Whitley Award, often known as the 'Green Oscars'. Speaking to Bernama, she shared how a unique and powerful bond naturally formed between her and the elephants during her encounters in the field, which revealed a side of the species many never see, sensitive, affectionate and intelligent creatures capable of deep emotional expression. It is a connection built not just on science, but on mutual respect and understanding, that continues to shape her mission to protect these extraordinary animals and the fragile ecosystems they call home. Advertisement 'There's a feeling that we chose each other. At first, studying Bornean elephants was just a means to complete my degree. But the more time I spent with them, it felt as though they were telling me to stay,' said the young scientist softly in a recent exclusive interview. 'There has always been an opportunity to learn, to understand them more deeply. It's as if I was meant to be part of their story,' she added with a quiet conviction. As she recounted her journey, Nurzhafarina shared that she has never experienced aggression from the pachyderms; instead, her presence has always been met with calm, almost as if her wild and resilient companions recognised that she was not there to intrude, but to help protect and preserve their world. 'The elephants gave me their time. I spent so much of it with them that I came to know 50 individual females by sight. I even named each one. I followed them for four years. I felt accepted, and at the same time, I kept learning from them. 'We often misunderstand them. Elephants don't attack. Yet we use words like 'attack' or say they 'invade' our space. But I don't think those words are fair because the truth is, they were here long before us,' she explained. It's this quiet truth that fuels Nurzhafarina's lifelong mission to help humans and elephants coexist with understanding and respect, as she believes that local communities sharing the same landscape with Bornean elephants must learn to live in harmony, not through fear, but through tolerance and empathy. Founded in 2018, Seratu Aatai, which means 'united in heart' in the Sungai language, works closely with these communities through education and outreach to promote deeper awareness and compassion, not just for elephants, but for all forms of wildlife. Seratu Aatai is the only conservation group in Sabah solely dedicated to the protection of the Bornean elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis) in Lower Kinabatangan, a rich, biodiverse region over 300 kilometres from Kota Kinabalu, also home to orangutans, sun bears and the iconic proboscis monkey. The first time Nurzhafarina witnessed the reality of life for Bornean elephants in the wild, it changed her perspective forever. She saw not just the beauty of these gentle giants, but the struggle they face in navigating what little remains of their natural home, forests now surrounded and fragmented by human activity. That moment stirred something deep within her, a calling to become a voice for the elephants, a bridge between human and animal, so these creatures might continue to play their vital role in the forest ecosystem and the wider balance of nature. Speaking about her recent recognition as a recipient of the Whitley Award 2025, Nurzhafarina admitted it was difficult to put her emotions into words. Presented by the UK-based Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN), the award is known for its intense competitiveness and global prestige. On April 30, she received the £50,000 (approximately RM287,000) award from WFN Patron Princess Anne at the Royal Geographical Society in London, as a powerful endorsement of her work to protect the estimated 300 remaining Bornean elephants in eastern Sabah. The award also recognises her innovative approach in engaging stakeholders in the oil palm industry across the Lower Kinabatangan, encouraging elephant-friendly practices and building a network of safe corridors for the world's smallest elephant species. 'This award comes with great responsibility. 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,' she said. For her, this is not just a career, it is a heartfelt expression of gratitude for the knowledge and skills she has been given to protect the Bornean elephant, a species classified as 'Endangered' on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List. While she acknowledges that uniting all parties in the conservation effort is challenging, Nurzhafarina hopes the local communities will join her in this vital mission. She believes it is essential to preserve Kinabatangan as a symbol of harmony and coexistence between humans and wildlife. 'I see Kinabatangan as a very special place. Despite the many challenges in maintaining wildlife habitats, this region remains resilient and strong. 'Sabah and Borneo are renowned for their natural wealth, with forests and wildlife that exist nowhere else. This is what draws people here. So, we must find a balance between development and environmental conservation,' she emphasised. Her words echo a deep bond, not only with the elephants she protects but with the land they share, reminding us all of the delicate harmony that sustains life in this unique corner of the world. * 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
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.
Daily Express
02-05-2025
- Science
- Daily Express
Sabah elephant expert wins UK award for conservation work
Published on: Friday, May 02, 2025 Published on: Fri, May 02, 2025 Text Size: Pic by Shervin Hess via WFN KOTA KINABALU: Elephant biologist Dr Nurzhafarina Othman ( pic ) has received the prestigious Whitley Award from the UK-based Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) for her efforts to save Sabah's endangered Bornean elephants, The Malaysian Reserve reported. The award was presented by WFN patron Princess Anne during a ceremony in London on April 30, where Farina, as she is known, read a heartfelt letter to the elephants. Through her nonprofit Seratu Aatai, Farina works with palm oil stakeholders in Lower Kinabatangan to mitigate human-elephant conflict by promoting elephant-friendly coexistence strategies. According to WFN, her conservation efforts aim to establish protected corridors for the last 300 Bornean elephants in Sabah, a subspecies that has lost 60% of its forest habitat due to logging and agriculture. Her work also supports broader biodiversity in the region, benefiting species like orangutans and sun bears, in a landscape increasingly reshaped by economic development. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * 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
Malay Mail
02-05-2025
- General
- Malay Mail
Malaysian biologist Farina Othman wins global award for work with palm oil farmers to protect last 300 Bornean elephants in Sabah
KOTA KINABALU, May 2 — UK charity, the Whitley Fund for Nature, recognised Malaysian Dr Farina Othman with a 2025 Whitley Award for her work to save the last 300 Bornean elephants in the east coast of Sabah amid shrinking habitat for the world's smallest elephant. The founder and director of nonprofit, Seratu Aatai which means 'solidarity,' Farina is addressing a rise in human-elephant conflict with palm oil stakeholders in Lower Kinabatangan. The elephant biologist is supporting companies and smallholders in implementing an 'elephant friendly' approach to promote coexistence with the goal of creating a protected corridor network. Charity Patron, Princess Anne, presented the Whitley Award on April 30 at the Royal Geographical Society in London. The event was livestreamed to YouTube. There are fewer than 1,000 Bornean elephants left in the wild in three population ranges across Sabah. A subspecies of the Asian elephant, they've lost 60 per cent of their forest habitat in the last 40 years, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, driven by logging and cultivation of palm oil. The extensive fragmentation and connectivity loss has significantly restricted elephant movement. The IUCN listed them on its Red List as Endangered for the first time last year. Farina is focused on a stronghold in the Lower Kinabatangan where much of the original forest has been altered for economic development. As elephants navigate this changing landscape, their presence can pose challenges for farmers working to protect their livelihoods. The floodplain, shaped by the Kinabatangan River, includes large estates and small family farms that cut through a fragmented network of protected forests. Eleven large palm oil companies own 40 per cent of the land in Lower Kinabatangan and there are about 150 independent palm oil smallholders. 'Human-wildlife conflict is often treated as a local issue, but it is a global challenge linked to habitat loss, climate change, and unsustainable development.' Solutions that support both conservation and sustainable agriculture will be key to fostering coexistence: with the Whitley Award project, Farina and her team will focus on engaging independent palm oil smallholders – farmers with 100 acres or less – as well as large plantations. Their plan includes citizen science; addressing best practices around habitat connectivity, such as fencing; and contributing to an ongoing strategic conservation initiative, the proposed Kinabatangan Biosphere Reserve. Seratu Aatai, which Farina created in 2018, is well known among local communities, and is the only conservation organisation in Sabah dedicated uniquely to the conservation of the Bornean elephant. Genetically distinct from all other elephant populations, males grow to four metres in height. Orangutans, Sunda clouded leopards, sun bears and leopard cats are among the species that will benefit from Farina's project in the area, which is an ecotourist destination, known for its oxbow lakes and tropical forests. Farina's citizen science initiative will include plantation personnel in identifying and monitoring elephant movements on estates in the Lower Kinabatangan to foster a deeper understanding of their movements and behaviours. Stakeholders will be trained in how to identify individual elephants and assess herd dynamics. Farina, who is also a senior lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Sabah, says the data will be made available to Sabah Wildlife Department and other government agencies. The Whitley Award project will agree guidelines for best practices, and standard operating procedures for adoption by palm oil companies that align with conservation policies and legal frameworks. These will address habitat connectivity and include the establishment of corridors and fencing. A monitoring plan will track the effectiveness of these interventions. Large plantations will offer training sessions to educate smallholders on sustainable farming practices, such as effective fertilisation and pest controls to minimize the impact on the local environment. Under Sabah Wildlife Enactment 1997, individuals from local communities can become honorary wildlife wardens, empowered to implement the wildlife conservation laws. Trained Honorary Wildlife Wardens will educate students at plantation schools on safe interactions with elephants and conflict mitigation strategies. The Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) is a UK charity supporting grassroots conservation leaders in the Global South. Since its creation in 1993, it has channelled £24 million to 220 conservationists across 80 countries. An early pioneer in the sector WFN was one of the first charities to channel funding directly to projects led by in-country nationals. Its rigorous application process identifies inspiring individuals who combine the latest science with community-based action. — The Borneo Post
