Woman protects Bornean elephants through community collaboration
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In the Malaysian jungle of Borneo, Farina Othman and her team tranquilize a Bornean elephant to attach a tracking collar as part of a program to protect the endangered species.
Around 1,000 Bornean elephants remain in the wild, and Othman’s work focuses on reducing conflict between the elephants and local communities. The team carefully monitors individual elephants. Othman knows them by name, like “Pigtail” identified by its tail, and the collars alert villagers when elephants approach.
The program centers on establishing “corridors” allowing elephants to move between fragmented forest areas, oil palm plantations, and villages. Bornean elephants have lost over 60% of their habitat in Sabah state since the 1970s due to logging and palm oil development, leading to increased conflict when elephants enter private property. Othman’s organization, Seratu Aatai, runs awareness programs in schools, distributes information, and trains local “wildlife guardians” to guide elephants away from homes. Residents like Firah Kazenn acknowledge the positive changes.
They say that before Othman’s work, elephants were not monitored, resulting in many deaths during conflicts. Othman hopes to persuade plantation owners to view elephants as an ecological asset rather than a nuisance, creating passages through plantations to connect remaining habitats. While economic pressures make this difficult, some organizations are working to support sustainable palm oil production and recognize the efforts of plantations that collaborate with conservationists.
