NOMINATED IN NEWCASTLE UNI IMPACT AWARD

We submitted our dLeap project to the Newcastle University Impact Award recently. 

Our submission was one of the nomination for the award.

Though our submission did not win the overall award,  we did a great work in improving the livelihood of communities. 

We want to extend our gratitude to everyone who volunteered  to carry this projects. 
 

JOHOR ELEPHANT SANTUARY

Tracking wild  jumbos on the move

By MOHD FARHAAN SHA

Perhilitan expects to see a drop in elephant-human conflict now that the Johor Elephant Sanctuary is open. — THOMAS YONG/The Star

THE Johor Elephant Sanctuary (JES) has an important role to play in helping to reduce the number of clashes between humans and elephants in the state.

JES, the second elephant sanctuary in Malaysia, doubles up as a tourist attraction for animal lovers to get close to the jumbos. More importantly, it serves as a training ground to train wild elephants to stay away from areas inhabited by humans

Johor Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director Salman Saaban said the Perhilitan sanctuary in Kota Tinggi, built at a cost of RM15mil, had been operational since December last year.

“We currently have 13 trained Perhilitan staff, who look after three elephants in the sanctuary, ” he told StarMetro, adding that the team received their training at Kuala Gandah National Elephant Conservation Centre in Lanchang, Pahang.

The latest 72.9ha sanctuary, located along Jalan Lombong near the famous Kota Tinggi Waterfall in Johor, was conceptualised to provide refuge for about 15 elephants at a time.

“We have identified several phases under JES and our main priority is to educate the public, in particular those living in villages near the sanctuary, as well as focusing on training elephants, ” said Salman.

Perhilitan personnel helping to lead wild elephants at a plantation in Kota Tinggi back to the sanctuary.

“From the feedback received, villagers and plantation owners welcome the setting up of a sanctuary here as its function is to help protect both animal and humans.”

He stressed that Perhilitan’s efforts to engage with more villagers and plantation owners within the eastern and central parts of Johor, however, hit a snag following the movement control order.

“There are about 120 to 160 wild elephants roaming the thick forested areas in the state, especially in Segamat, Kluang, Mersing and Kota Tinggi.

“Elephants, the biggest land mammals on Earth, usually move in herds from one location to another to find food.

“It is better for humans to stay away from them and not provoke them, ” he said, adding that most of the wild elephants at the sanctuary were young jumbos left behind by the herd and that had wandered into populated areas.

Salman said the elephants would be released back into the forest once they were trained and treated.

He said the department installed eight satellite collars as part of an early warning system to monitor the movement of elephant herds in a move to prevent future conflicts with humans.

Salman says villagers and plantation owners are happy that JES has opened its doors.

He disclosed that Perhilitan planned to add four more satellite collars this year, besides having three drone units available at JES, Mersing and Kluang.

Each herd often has at least one collared elephant among them while the drones are despatched when Perhilitan receives a complaint that an animal is about to encroach into a residential area.

Salman said Perhilitan would send a team to the ground to lead the elephants away from the area upon receiving drone visuals.

He highlighted that recently, two young female elephants died in Kluang after accidentally consuming poison when they strayed into a plantation in search of food.

He added that last month, two female elephants were caught at an army camp in Mersing.

In total, Salman said Perhilitan had received about 514 complaints on elephants in the last five years.

Trenches built around the Felda Lok Heng Timur plantation in Kota Tinggi, Johor did not stop elephants from entering the area in search of food.

He said following the complaints, the department had been proactively carrying out measures to prevent human-elephant conflict.

“Between 2016 and 2020, Perhilitan carried out 1,609 monitoring and control actions by relocating 30 wild elephants to a safer location far away from humans.

“Most of the elephants were relocated to Endau-Rompin National Park as that is their natural habitat, while some were sent to the Kuala Gandah conservation centre for treatment and training, ” he said.

He added that during the same period, Perhilitan also recorded nine elephant attacks on people, resulting in six deaths and three injured in Kota Tinggi, Mersing and Kluang.

“With our continued efforts to protect the elephants and by having JES operational, the department is aiming for a 50% reduction in human-elephant conflict within the next five years in Johor, ” said Salman.

He added that at present, JES was still off limits to the public but there were plans to launch its eco-tourism package by the end of the year.

Related stories:

‘Win-win solution needed to address conflict between elephant and human’

TAGS / KEYWORDS:Johor Elephant Sanctuary , Perhilitan , Malaysian Nature Society , Kuala Gandah National Elephant Conservation Centre

  

WORLD WILDLIFE DAY

Congratulations to World WildLife Day on 3rd. March 2021.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2021

Good riddance to the bad Year 2020 and welcome the New Year 2021.

Enjoy the Wi-Fi and Internet access at the CheWong community centre and classroom sponsored by private well wishers.

You can do your on-line learning in the New Year. 

KUALA GANDAH ELEPHANT CENTRE REOPENS ON 2.1.2021

Please to inform the public that the Kuala Gandah Elephant Centre will reopen on Saturday 2nd. January 2021 onwards. 

If you are interested to visit this santuary, please do  your necessary travel arrangements. 

Kuala Gandah Elephant Santuary is located in Krau National Forest Reserve. The size of this reserve is as the size of Singapore island.

Also located besides the Kuala Gandah Elephant Santuary is the tribal village of CheWong orang Asli.

Krau National Forest Reserve has the Biodiversity Institute which has Heritage Centre and the Deer Park.

In June 2021, a new Tiger Rehabilitation centre will be added to the Krau National Forest Reserve. Injured tigers nationwide due to snares etc. will be sent here to be taken care of.

They will be rehabilated before they are released back into their natural habitat.

Visit Krau National Forest Reserve at https://www.wildlife.gov.my/index.php/en/12-bahagian/32-krau-wildlife-reserve-pahang

WIFI AND INTERNET ACCESS AT CHEWONG COMMUNITY CENTER

Checking Internet Access

Testing out Wifi and Internet access at CheWong Community centre. The Internet access is reasonable and now, the community can do on-line learning from there.

Monthly Internet access is borne privately as a community service project.

Wi-Fi Box in the Classroom at CheWong community centre 

INTERNET IN A BOX AND SOFT TOYS

On this Tuesday, our volunteers for CheWong Kuala Gandah Elephant Centre will travel there on a day trip. 

We hope to test our Internet in a Box connection at the CheWong community centre.

If successful, we will place the box in a secure place for Wi-Fi and Internet access trials.  

At the same time, we  received some soft toys donated by a well wisher.  

Being the coming of the New Year, these toys can be given to the CheWong kids. 

Hopefully, they can enjoy and play with these soft toys for the New Year.

GENTLE GIANTS AT RISKS FROM POACHERS'TRAPS

Gentle giants at risk from poachers’ traps

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• NATION

• Sunday, 08 Nov 2020

  By ALLISON LAI

Recovering: Elly, at the Kuala Gandah NECC in Pahang, is getting used to her prosthetic leg which needs to be changed every six months.

PETALING JAYA: Snares set up by poachers in the country’s jungles are killing or injuring wildlife every year – including the biggest of them all, elephants and calves like Elly and Chereh.

Elly, rescued by the wildlife authorities three years ago from a snare after it was abandoned by its herd, had its foot amputated three years ago. The calf has a new prosthetic leg now.

Currently being cared for at the Kuala Gandah National Elephant Conservation Centre (NECC) in Lanchang, Pahang, Elly, who is four now, is learning to adapt to the wild through daily outings in the jungle with her mahout.

Chereh, rescued in Sungai Lembing, Pahang, in September, is in quarantine.

“He was also trapped and injured by a poacher’s trap. We are still monitoring his condition to see if he needs an amputation, ” said Kuala Gandah NECC chief Muhammad Khairul Adha Mat Amin.

Last month, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) rescued a female elephant trapped in a snare in Jeli, Kelantan, and a female tapir in Jerantut, Pahang.

Khairul said that over the years, many rescued elephants had succumbed to injuries and infections caused by snare traps.

Elly’s front right foot was severely injured and covered in mud when she was first found near a village in Jeli, Kelantan.

“She was barely conscious and maggots were infesting her wound, ” he said.

“Our team from the Terengganu Elephant Conservation Centre (ECC) brought her out and gave her the initial medical treatment before she was transferred to Kuala Gandah for her recovery, ” he added.

After her condition stabilised, Elly was soon adopted and provided with a prosthetic leg by the Export-Import Bank of Malaysia (Exim Bank) under its corporate social responsibility initiative.

Since the now 400kg calf is still growing, her prosthetic leg needs to be changed every six months.

“The specifications of the prosthetic leg have to change according to Elly’s needs because her strength and movements change as she grows.

“Although the Exim Bank adoption provides allocation for that until next year, we welcome any corporates, non-governmental organisations or individuals to come forward because there are 32 other rescued elephants at our centre, ” added Khairul.

Elly, who switched to solid food a year ago, enjoys eating papaya and watermelon besides her usual daily Napier grass.

Apart from Kuala Gandah, Khairul said Perhilitan also manages the ECC in Sungai Deka, Terengganu, and the upcoming elephant sanctuary in Kota Tinggi, Johor.

   

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Three problematic elephants captured in Kota Tinggi

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POSSIBLE POSITIONS TO MOUNT WIRELESS INTERNET IN A BOX

Currently,  we are testing the Internet in a Box with unlimited data usage. 

After testing it,  we hope to mount the Box at one of these positions where there is a working power point. 

Once commissioned,  CheWong residents including children can access onto the Internet to learn their lessons remotely online. 

A Webcam can also be installed overlooking the stage which we can view functions being carried out at the stage. 

LEARNING ENGLISH ONLINE VIA YOUTUBE

Once we have sorted out the monthly wireless unlimited data plan to be put into the Wireless Internet in  Box,  this box will be relocated at the CheWong community centre. 

CheWong community with their school  children can go on remote learning by using their smart phones or XO laptops.

To access this online  learning on YouTube,  you must first log into:

https://dleapkualagandah.blogspot.com

English lessons can be learned online from here.

http://seanlaurence.com/awesome-youtube-channels-for-learning-english/

WIFI INTERNET IN A BOX TO BE RELOCATED

For the past 1.5 years, we placed the wifi Internet access hardware in the Resource room.

As this room is always not opened to the the public unless on official functions, usage of this Internet and Intranet is underutilised.

By placing these Internet devices at the CheWong Community centre, hopefully more people including pupils in the CheWong kampung can use it for on-line learning remotely using XOs laptops.

The devices will need to be placed in a sturdy ABS box and then mounted securely in the community centre.

Wi-Fi Internet-in-a-Box

XOs CAN BE USED FOR REMOTE LEARNING BY DEAF PUPILS

In Pakistan,  donated XOs have been used by deaf pupils for remote learning.  They can be used by special children besides normal children.

2 CHE WONG SPM GRADUATES TO TAKE UP TOURISM COURSE IN LIPIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

In the 2019 SPM exams, 2 Che Wong young ladies passed with good grades. They were the first in the Che Wong community to pass the SPM.

Intan & Ain

Today, they will be enrolling to study a tourism course at the Kuala Lipis Community College for 2 years.

This is a milestone for the Che Wong community.

Our congratulations to both of them in their new journey for the next two years.

Well wishers and donors have provided financial assistance for their course fees and living expenses.

A big Thank you to all persons who provided in this social community project.

VIDEO RECORDS

Some videos to record OLPC development in Malaysia over the past 7 years.

https://youtu.be/Q581WVCZfmA

https://youtu.be/n9INabdrZ3I

KUALA GANDAH ELEPHANT SANTUARY OPENED TO PUBLIC SINCE 15.6.2020

We are pleased to inform the public that our Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary has been re-opened since 15.6.2020.

So the public who are interested to visit this centre can now do so.

Have an enjoyable family outing by visiting this centre.

Durian season is also on as well.

dLEAP IN THE STAR WRITE UP TODAY

dLeap has a write up by the Star today.

SELAMAT HARI RAYA

MAAF,  ZAHIR Dan BATIN

ELEPHANTS DROP FOOD PARCELS IN KRAU SANTUARY

Jumbo drop: Elephants help deliver aid to Orang Asli at Krau wildlife reserve

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• NATION 
• Saturday, 09 May 2020
  8:24 PM MYT
  By ONG HAN SEAN

KUANTAN: Four elephants from the Kuala Gandah National Elephant Conservation Centre have helped to make a special delivery to Orang Asli residents in the Krau wildlife reserve during the movement control order (MCO).

The elephants named Kasturi, Alam, Abot and Timur and a team of staff from the centre undertook the activity in mid-April, according to a post on the Wildlife and National Parks Department's Facebook page.

Medicine and food items such as rice, sugar, sardines and milk that were donated by individuals who visited the centre were brought by the elephants and their handlers through a forest path to Kampung Asli Senil, Kampung Asli Serluh and Lata Tujuh, which were occupied by 20 families.

The department said aside from assisting the local community, the three days, two nights programme was also an exercise in mental and physical fitness for the elephants while also strengthening the bond with their handlers.