Endangered Borneo pygmy elephant discovered lifeless, shot 70 times by poachers in Sabah, Malaysia. Tragically found floating in a river, tusks removed.
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A Borneo pygmy elephant has been found shot dead and floating in a river in Malaysia by poachers who stole its tusks, animal workers say
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“The elephant endured 70 close-range shots, including a fatal temple shot; instant death, though suffering duration remains unknown. Sabah Wildlife Director deems the death ‘cruel.’ Authorities retrieve the submerged body, post-mortem confirms tusks sawed off. Police pursue at least four or five poachers. With only 1,500 pygmy elephants remaining, species is fully protected; offenders may face up to five years in jail or a $60,000 fine.”
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/09/30/15/19110100-7521127-image-m-38_1569854582413.jpg)
Investigators believe a team of at least four or five poachers are responsible for the killing, and are now hunting for those responsible
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Police were forced to use heavy machinery to get the elephant’s body out of the river, at which point they realise its tusks had been sawed off