An original illustration by Ranv Ling.
The Bornean Pygmy Elephant Behind My Novel: A Young Elephant Shot Dead in Sabah in 2018
Real Animal Profile No. 1
The Girl in the Kitchen , Malaysian Author Ranv Ling
On 23 July 2018, a young male Bornean elephant was found dead beside a road in Kampung Karamuak, Tongod, Sabah, Malaysia. Estimated to be between three and four years old, the elephant had suffered fatal gunshot injuries.
This was the third elephant death reported in Sabah within just eight days, raising further concerns about the safety of the state’s wild elephant population.
1. The Incident: Kampung Karamuak, Sabah
According to a report published by Malay Mail on 24 July 2018, a team of wildlife rangers from the Kinabatangan Wildlife Office discovered the elephant’s carcass at approximately 7:40 a.m. on 23 July, while returning from elephant control operations in Kampung Karamuak.
An examination revealed a wound on the elephant’s right hindquarter. A projectile pellet was subsequently found inside its abdomen, causing parts of its intestines to tear and resulting in severe internal bleeding.
According to the Sabah Wildlife Department, the injuries suggested that the elephant had most likely been shot at close range, possibly from an elevated position or from the back of a vehicle.
The incident was particularly alarming because two other elephants had already been found dead in Sabah during the preceding eight days:
- 16 July 2018 – Ulu Segama, Lahad Datu: A male elephant was found dead in an oil palm plantation. Its foot had been severely injured by a snare trap.
- 19 July 2018 – Kuamut Forest Reserve, Kinabatangan: A male elephant was discovered dead near an abandoned logging camp, with a severe fracture to the left side of its skull. The injury was believed to have resulted from a confrontation with another elephant.
- 23 July 2018 – Kampung Karamuak, Tongod: A young male elephant was found dead with fatal gunshot injuries.
The three incidents, occurring within an eight-day period, highlighted the growing concerns surrounding elephant deaths in Sabah.
2. The Bornean Pygmy Elephant: A Distinct Subspecies
The elephant involved in this incident belonged to the Bornean elephant population, commonly known as the Bornean pygmy elephant.
Its scientific name is Elephas maximus borneensis. It is a distinct subspecies of the Asian elephant, native to the island of Borneo.
Compared with other Asian elephants, Bornean elephants are generally smaller, with relatively rounder faces and wider heads. They are found mainly in Sabah, Malaysia, with a smaller population in the Indonesian state of Kalimantan.
Despite their relatively small size, these elephants play an important ecological role in Borneo’s tropical forests, helping to disperse seeds and maintain the health of their forest habitats.
3. Conservation Status: Classified as Endangered
On 27 June 2024, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced that the Bornean elephant had been assessed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The assessment estimated that approximately 1,000 Bornean elephants remained in the wild, including around 400 breeding adults.
Among the major threats identified were habitat loss and fragmentation, human-elephant conflict, poaching and the expansion of agricultural and infrastructure development.
As a subspecies found only on Borneo, its survival is closely connected to the protection of the island’s remaining forests and the conservation of wildlife corridors.
4. The Real Animal Behind The Girl in the Kitchen
（廚房裡的女孩）
This young male elephant, discovered in Kampung Karamuak in July 2018, is one of nine real elephants whose lives and histories inspired my novel, The Girl in the Kitchen. In the novel, his story is carried forward through the character of Kakamok.
Drawing on the documented lives and deaths of these elephants, the novel imagines what might happen to them beyond death, bringing their stories into a fictional world where their existence continues in another form.
The historical information presented in this profile is based on published news reports and conservation records. The elephant and his documented history are real, while Kakamok’s character, along with the events, relationships and imagined world surrounding him after death, is part of my literary creation.
Through this novel, I hope to give these real elephants a lasting presence in literature, allowing their stories to continue beyond the boundaries of their recorded lives.
References and Further Reading
- Malay Mail – 24 July 2018
Sabah records third elephant death in eight days.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2018/07/24/sabah-records-third-elephant-death-in-eight-days/1655545 - International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – 27 June 2024
Bornean elephant Endangered – IUCN Red List.
https://iucn.org/press-release/202406/bornean-elephant-endangered-iucn-red-list - Natural History Museum – 27 June 2024
World’s Smallest Elephants Now Endangered: Bornean Elephants Added to IUCN Red List.
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/press-office/press-releases/world-s-smallest-elephants-now-endangered–bornean-elephants-add.html
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