Borneo Elephant Faces Extinction
The International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified the Borneo elephant, the smallest elephant species in Asia, as an endangered species. This alarming classification is the first time it has been applied to the Borneo elephant.
This classification is due to the alarming decline in the number of Borneo elephants over the past 75 years. Estimates indicate that there are only about a thousand elephants left in the wild.
According to the IUCN, the destruction of forest habitats in Borneo, due to activities such as deforestation for palm oil production, logging, and mining, is the main threat to the survival of this species.
The growing conflicts between Borneo elephants and humans, who compete for resources in a context of increasing population on the island of Borneo, exacerbate the situation.
Indeed, in search of food, elephants sometimes venture into populated areas, causing damage to crops and sometimes leading to the deaths of people.
The IUCN warns that the “Pan Borneo” cross-border road project, which aims to link Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia on the island of Borneo, will pose an additional threat to the future of the Borneo elephant.
