PETALING JAYA: With only 1,000 Bornean elephants left in Sabah, the species faces an urgent crisis due to escalating human-elephant conflicts, pushing them closer to extinction.

Listed as endangered on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, these elephants struggle to survive amid expanding human activities and widespread habitat destruction.

WWF-Malaysia Sabah Landscapes Programme protection head Dr Cheryl Cheah said habitat loss, fragmentation and human encroachment have disrupted the elephants’ traditional movement patterns.

“Large-scale land use changes during the 1970s and 1980s, including the expansion of plantations and infrastructure development, have confined elephant populations to fragmented landscapes.

“As a result, elephants are forced to venture into plantations and settlements in search of food and water, leading to increased conflicts.”

She said authorities have implemented measures such as electric fences and relocation to address the problem. However, she said the success of the measures depends on their design, maintenance and placement.

“Carefully constructed and well maintained electric fences have proven effective in deterring elephants and protecting large plantations.

“However, poorly designed or uncoordinated fences often fail, as elephants can break through or find ways around them. Some of them have adapted to the fences and exploit weak points to bypass barriers.”

Cheah advocated for an integrated approach combining fencing with other strategies, such as securing wildlife corridors, implementing early warning systems and establishing community ranger teams.

“A proactive approach that includes joint electric fencing initiatives between neighbouring plantations, habitat restoration and community engagement offers a more sustainable solution.”

Cheah also said smallholders and local communities face significant challenges in adopting electric fencing due to its high cost and the technical expertise required.

“For smallholders, low-cost alternatives, such as community ranger teams and early warning systems are more practical.

“Elephant relocation or translocation should be a last resort, as it often fails to resolve conflicts effectively.”

She said wildlife corridors are critical to reconnecting fragmented elephant habitats and enabling safe movement between forested areas.

“Without the corridors, elephants are forced to navigate plantations and settlements, increasing the risk of conflict,” she said, adding that the importance of wildlife-friendly infrastructure designs, such as viaducts and elevated highways, could reduce habitat fragmentation and wildlife-vehicle collisions.

Despite numerous efforts, habitat fragmentation continues to pose a major challenge.

Cheah called for stronger enforcement, policy integration, and collaboration with industries to ensure the long-term protection of wildlife corridors.

“Expanding and securing these corridors must remain a priority to reduce human-elephant conflicts in Sabah.

“It requires collective effort from the government, plantations and local communities.

“Education and awareness programmes in schools are essential to instil a deep respect for Sabah’s biodiversity and empower future generations to protect wildlife and natural habitats.

“Maintaining elephant movement corridors, preventing habitat fragmentation and strengthening conflict mitigation strategies are essential to reducing tensions between elephants, local communities and plantations while ensuring long-term coexistence.”

Last November, Natural Resources and Environment Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said since 2018, Malaysia recorded 80,375 cases of human-wildlife conflicts, resulting in RM62.5 million losses.

“The key issue is habitat destruction, and we acknowledge that we are playing catch-up in addressing wildlife conflicts and biodiversity conservation.

“It requires a comprehensive approach while ensuring the preservation of the country’s rich biodiversity,” he said, adding that the government was working to enhance coverage under the Wildlife and National Parks Department and focus on high impact areas with significant conflicts.