FGV Holdings Bhd (FGV) will assist the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) by covering the cost of treatment and care of a baby male Borneo elephant rescued by plantation workers at Sahabat Felda 54 near the Tabin Reserve Forest border on April 2.

FGV group CEO Haris Fadzilah Hassan said the 2-year-old elephant named Sahabat was found wandering around the plantation with both eyes severely infected, which may have affected its vision, causing it to be separated from his herd.

“The total estimated expenditure for the adoption programme of three to six months is around RM16,000, depending on Sahabat’s recovery status and readiness to be released back into the wild,” he said in a speech read by FGV plantation controller  Sabah Zone Md Yahaya Judin at the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park in Kota Kinabalu today.

Haris Fadzilah said for further treatment, Sahabat was taken to the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park, more than 500km away from the plantation or about an 11-hour drive by FGV drivers who volunteered to make the journey.

SWD director Augustine Tuuga said Sahabat has now regained 95% of his eyesight and the department will ensure the health of the baby elephant before releasing him to his herd in their natural habitat.

He said currently, there are no plans to adopt Sahabat, and SWD rangers have been working around the clock for more than two months to ensure he is given medication on an hourly basis.

“We hope Sahabat will be accepted by his herd and if there are other injured baby elephants, we will treat them in the field, but if further treatment is needed, they will be brought back to the facility,” he said, adding there are about 2,000 elephants in Sabah.

Meanwhile, Yahaya said to protect elephants that enter plantation areas in Felda Sahabat at Lahad Datu, FGV has installed an electric fence costing more than RM800,000, which is expected to be completed by October.

He said the electric fence is more than 36km and runs through five plantations, namely Sahabat 7, Sahabat 16, Sahabat 48, Sahabat 50, Sahabat 52 and 54. – Bernama, July 10, 2020.