AR-News: (Malaysia) 11 elephants set to return ‘home’

[Animalara2003 at aol.com]

New Straits Times
KUALA LUMPUR, June 13:
Eleven elephants, caught by a wildlife trader and destined for zoos in China, 
will soon be returned to their natural habitat. 
Thanks to swift action by the Sabah Government, the Bornean elephants will be 
released at various locations in the State next month.

The animals had been trapped because they were said to be damaging farmers’ 
crops, by a known wildlife trader last year, but international organisations 
questioned the motive for the animals’ capture.

Local and international conservationists were also enraged when the trader 
was granted an export permit to send the elephants to foreign zoos.

Under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora 
and Fauna (Cites), trading in elephants for commercial purposes is prohibited.

This then led to the intervention of the State Government which announced 
that the elephants would be released into the wild instead of being exported.

"The Sabah Government is to be commended for halting the export of the 
elephants for what seems to be questionable purposes," said Chris R. Shepherd, 
regional programme officer with TRAFFIC South-East Asia, the wildlife trade 
monitoring network.

Prior to their release, the elephants will be radio-collared for close 
monitoring.

Data from the reintroduction of these animals into the wild will benefit 
other elephant conservation projects in Asia.

Elephant-human conflict situations arise when humans encroach into elephant 
habitats, affecting their territory and food sources.


full story:
http://www.emedia.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/National/20040614074714/Artic
le/indexb_html 

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