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Beluran, September 27, 2024 — More than five hundred community members, students, and children gathered at the Dewan Komuniti Ladang Desa Talisai South in Sabah to participate in the World Elephant Day Celebration yesterday. This event brought together various stakeholders to celebrate and strengthen conservation efforts aimed at achieving harmonious coexistence between humans and elephants. The celebration was jointly organised by Earthworm Foundation, an impact-driven non-profit organisation, in collaboration with the Sabah Wildlife Department and KLK Sawit Nusantara Sdn Bhd (KSN), a subsidiary of Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad.
Hussein Muin, Sandakan Wildlife Officer, who opened the event, emphasised the importance of collective action. “Through closer collaboration among the relevant stakeholders, we are able to achieve our conservation targets in a more effective and sustainable manner,” he said.
While Gilbert Jussip, Beluran Assistant District Development Officer (ADDO) who officiated the event, stated that such event is important as a medium of exposure for the younger generation, enabling them to appreciate the majestic wildlife and to protect it in the future. “I hope our spirit of protection for the elephants encompasses all our other wildlife for the sustainability of our biodiversity,” he mentioned.
To achieve human-elephant coexistence, youth play a significant role. As the next generation who will manage and inherit the area, it is vital to introduce them to elephants at an early age. Therefore, KSN and Earthworm Foundation are collaborating to empower children of smallholders in Beluran. In partnership with Labuk Subur National School (SK Labuk Subur), students from the school were inaugurated as Wildlife Junior Rangers at the event.
Representatives of the Wildlife Junior Ranger pledged on the stage, “We, the Wildlife Junior Ranger, pledge to take action, to help protect the environment. We pledge, to remind our friends, families, and our societies about the importance of greening daily actions in order to protect flora and fauna which are essential for our future generations.”
Wildlife Junior Ranger is an initiative by KSN and Earthworm Foundation, follows a successful model established by Sabah Wildlife Department, which set up a similar group in Sandakan. Earthworm Foundation operates in Kampung Ulu Muanad in Beluran as part of the human-elephant coexistence (HEC) managed area in Sabah. Earthworm has also facilitated the establishment of 7Team, a youth ranger group that often patrols the area. Sabah Landscape Manager of Earthworm Foundation, Kenny Kagiah, stated, “In addition to providing technical assistance to the 7Team and other activities on the ground, it is critical to be inclusive and engage with the younger generation. Through this Wildlife Junior Ranger programme, along with our partners, we will hold various educational and awareness-raising activities, enabling the rangers to be role models for their peers.”
Representatives of the Wildlife Junior Ranger pledged on the stage, “We, the Wildlife Junior Ranger, pledge to take action, to help protect the environment. We pledge, to remind our friends, families, and our societies about the importance of greening daily actions in order to protect flora and fauna which are essential for our future generations.”
The World Elephant Day event also featured a variety of educational and interactive activities, including colouring and elephant sculpture competitions for children and students, aimed at instilling a love and curiosity for elephants. Under the theme of maintaining a legacy for future generations, this World Elephant Day not only commemorates the existence of elephants but also raises public awareness about the importance of conservation and the hope for harmonious human-elephant coexistence. In addition to the World Elephant Day commemoration in Sabah, Earthworm Foundation and partners also held a similar event in Johor.
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Media contact:
Sheila Kartika, Communication Manager Earthworm Foundation
+62856-887-1996 or s.putri@earthworm.org
About Earthworm Foundation
Earthworm Foundation is an impact-driven non-profit that works with businesses, civil society, communities, governments and others to tackle environmental and social issues in sourcing landscapes and supply chains.
Our team of supply chain, social, and environmental experts operates across five continents, striving to enhance conditions for individuals, forests, and soils affected by the production of cocoa, packaging, palm oil, rubber, and other commodities. With a network of over 100 members and partners, our foundation is dedicated to implementing responsible sourcing commitments in supply chains and innovating practical solutions to address social and environmental challenges across diverse sourcing landscapes. Find out more at www.earthworm.org.
