Baby elephant with amputated foot dies

KOTA KINABALU – The female baby elephant that had to be amputated after its right foot was almost severed by a snare trap dies.

Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin said the baby elephant, which was less than two years old, was given the best treatment after undergoing a surgical process to amputate its right front foot on Monday.

"After the surgery, the baby elephant has also shown very good development. It looks healthy and even eats and drinks like a normal healthy elephant.

"However, the next day (Tuesday), the baby elephant looked quite weak and depressed. Treatment and medication were done and the baby elephant responded well.

"However, in the afternoon, the baby elephant collapsed.

“It tried to get up but collapsed again briefly at about 6.15pm and stopped breathing just before the veterinarian confirmed its death," he said in a statement today.

He added that the autopsy on the baby elephant was done this morning and found that the death was due to organ failures in its body.

“The death is caused by failure of vital organs such as the heart, lung and bleeding in the alimentary canal in the stomach and intestines.

"It was due to an infection on the wound it had suffered since being caught in the snare trap," he explained.

Jafry added that although the veterinary officer who treated the animal did his best, it eventually died.

“I am very saddened by the incident and I hope the injuries that caused such death will not recur in the future.

"I call on all levels of Sabah society to work together to curb illegal trapping activities to prevent injuries and deaths to wildlife, especially endangered animals such as elephants," he said.

Sinar Harian on Tuesday reported that the baby elephant was found injured in the leg after being caught in a snare trap in an incident in Tungku, Lahad Datu last Saturday.