KOTA KINABALU: Elephants are fast learners and will be able to detect malfunctioning electric fences, wildlife NGOs say.
Responsible Elephant Conservation Trust (Respect) and Borneo Rhino Alliance (BRA) said the Sabah government’s plan to install electric fences along the Pan Borneo Highway route in Telupid could be effective in keeping elephants from crossing that stretch.
Respect chairman Alex Yee and BRA programme director Dr Zainal Zahari Zainuddin pointed out, however, that the fencing must be well maintained and operational at all times.
Yee and Zainal said in their experience, at least half the elephant fencing in Sabah was not functioning at any particular time.
“In other words, sometimes a fence will shock them, sometimes not.
They said the fences emit a 10kV shock which is relatively harmless but serves as a "psychological deterrent" to the elephants; while the barriers themselves pose little physical obstruction to the animals.
“This is where the problem lies – once one elephant in a herd comes across an unmaintained ’dead fence’, they will all know (it's safe to break through it)," they said in a statement on Wednesday (Nov 20).
“After that, they will realise there are ways to (get through) – by pushing over a fence post, or knocking over a tree, or squeezing under the fence where the ground is low,” they added.
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Deputy Chief Minister III and state Works Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya announced recently that electric fencing would be set up along parts of the Pan Borneo Highway.
Shahelmey said the design takes into account safety features for elephants and other wildlife in animal crossing areas.
Datuk Jonnybone Kurum (PBS-Telupid) had asked in the state assembly if the ministry would put up an electric fence along the Telupid stretch to prevent elephants from crossing.
Yee and Zainal stressed that consistent maintenance and proper implementation were key.
“But such high levels of consistency are something that humans tend to lack.
“Every fence post needs to be protected by the electrified wire so elephants cannot simply pull it out,” they said.
ALSO READ: Pan Borneo Highway: Sabah govt decides to maintain route through Tawai Forest Reserve
Conservation group Coalition Humans Habitats Highways (3H) had previously objected to the highway cutting through the biodiversity-rich Tawai Forest Reserve in central Telupid district.
Coalition 3H, which has been urging the state government to avoid a road through Tawai forest since 2019, said the state Cabinet's decision was disappointing and should be reconsidered.
On Nov 10 last year, Shahelmey said the 20.5km Pan Borneo road alignment through the first class Tawai Forest Reserve in Telupid would be maintained, after the coalition had proposed alternative routes.
