Elephants Documentary: The Borneo's Pygmy Elephants The Borneo elephant also called the Borneo pygmy elephant inhabits northeastern Borneo. Its origin remains the subject of debate. A definitive subspecific classification as Elephas maximus borneensis awaits a detailed range-wide morphometric and genetic study. Since 1986, Elephas maximus has been listed as endangered by IUCN as the population has declined by at least 50% over the last three generations, estimated to be 60–75 years. The species is pre-eminently threatened by habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation. The Sultan of Sulu introduced captive elephants to Borneo in the 18th century, which were released into the jungle. Comparison of the Borneo elephant population to putative source populations in DNA analysis indicates that the Borneo elephants are derived from Sundaic stock and indigenous to Borneo. The genetic divergence of Borneo elephants warrants their recognition as a separate evolutionarily significant unit. In general, Asian elephants are smaller than African elephants and have the highest body point on the head. The tip of their trunk has one finger-like process. Their back is convex or level.[4] It has become commonplace to refer to Borneo elephants as a ‘pygmy’ subspecies. But adult elephants of Sabah of both sexes are similar in height to their counterparts in Peninsular Malaysia. Five measurements of the skull of a fully adult female elephant from Gomantong Forest Reserve were slightly smaller (72 – 90%) than comparable dimensions averaged for two Sumatran skulls. Few available measurements show that they are of similar size to other populations of the Sunda subregion. The pre-eminent threats to the Asian elephant today are habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation, which are driven by an expanding human population, and lead in turn to increasing conflicts between humans and elephants when elephants eat or trample crops. Hundreds of people and elephants are killed annually as a result of such conflicts.[12] Expanding human development disrupts their migration routes, depletes their food sources, and destroys their habitat.[13] The population of elephants in Kalimantan continues to dwindle as a result of damage to protected forests. As of April 2012, 20 to 80 elephants are estimated to range around 22 villages in the Sebuku subdistrict of Nunukan district in East Kalimantan. Tags: "Ντοκυμαντερ", "记录片", "documentaire", "Dokumentarfilm", "dokumentar", "ドキュメンタリー", "documental", "документальный", "documentario", "belgesel","documentário", "فيل", "éléphant", "Elefant", "elefante", "象", "слон", "象"

• published: 05 Nov 2014
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