The centre was very honest about their work. Basically, rainforest and jungles in Malaysia are diminishing in size due to palm oil plantations. Animals are forced into smaller areas and sometimes cause trouble to farmers in damaging their crops. The conservation unit relocates the elephants to national parks such as Taman Negara on the Malaysia Peninsular. However, due to lack of funds, they can't afford to attach satellite devices to all the relocated elephants which means they don't know if the herds are reunited or where the elephants go after release...so basically, they have no idea if this is relocation thing is working.
So I guess it's a good thing that the farmers are asking for help rather than killing the elephants but we don't really know if the elephants are better off...
Feeding time!
Chris "Fonty" Funtera and Alex-"Zan"-dra riding an elephant :)
Quiet weekend otherwise. I was shocked at the idea of "replacement classes" on a Saturday afternoon...with a test! Malaysia...Truly asia! Have been studying hard with Lauren (Chem Eng buddy...Control in particular) in her VERY quiet appartment...Everybody is travelling all the time. Trying to get assignments done early so I can relax when Anne arrives on Saturday.
Next destinations: Perhentian Islands followed by Malaysia Borneo!
Biz lah!
Ola xoxo
