.
"Selamat
Datang"
to
Kuala
Gandah!
Kuala
Gandah Elephant
Conservation Centre, or popularly
referred to as the Elephant
Orphanage Sanctuary, is located
within the bio diversified-rich and
protected
Krau
Game Reserve
& was set up in 1989 under the
DWNP
<Department of Wildlife &
National
Parks, Malaysia>,
manned by the Elephant
Capture & Translocation Unit
The Teris River acts
as a natural border
between the reserve
and the Che' wong
Orang Asli village
- the last tribe of its kind found
in Malaysia.
The name Kuala Gandah is,
itself,
taken from the
small stream running
near the electric
compound enclosure which
houses the elephants during
the day from
830am to 2pm before
they are transferred to
the roofed holding
area.
Prior to this
arrangement, the ECTU
was
a mobile operating team
since its establishment in 1974 with
a temporary base at the
Jengka Pusat plantation where a huge area
of jungle was carved to
make way for the planting of oil palm and
rubber trees and given
to poor families to work on as a means
of eradicating poverty
amongst the rural folk and to rid of
subversive hideouts during
the communist
insurgency days in the 1970s.
The clearing of the
jungles created
consistent
confrontations
between the wild elephants and the settlers.
The unit remained there untill 1981 before
it moved to
Kuala Lompat on the north eastern side
of Krau
Game Reserve.
However, it must be
noted that cutting
down of the forests
here are done for the overall benefit of the people of Malaysia within
the poverty line and compared to any other countries in the world
- Malaysia has
THE BEST
record in forest
preservation
AND reforestation.
Find out the world's
10 BIGGEST
CULPRITS
that
keep on warming up the fragile world and yet blames Malaysia for
supposedly cutting down all the forests.
Go to http://unfccc.int/2860.php
ECTU's
dedicated and never
ending
function is to the
continued
protection
and
translocation
of wild elephants,
from areas where there is conflict between
wild elephants and
humans, into bigger and safer jungle
reserves
land while
educating locals on the correct steps to protect their farms
whilst supporting wildlife conservation.
This unit is one of
its kind in the world
where the possibilities of being charged
or
trampled
by enraged wild elephants happens for 2/3
weeks every month!
It
is a thankless job where only
a very tiny percentage of
the general public is aware of the
existence, dedication
and sacrifices these magnificent men make
every month in order
to provide a win-win
situation
for both the wild elephants
and the human planters!
Currently,
there are 30 full time and 6
contracted staff working,
living in and near the centre complete
with housing facilities with
Mr/Encik Nasharuddin Othman as its Officer-In-Charge.
Water
is
supplied and piped in from the
upper reaches of the cool,
clear and clean Sungai Batu waterfalls
which lies within
the gazetted " Protected
Areas " of the Krau
Game Reserve while
electricity supply is on a 24 hour basis.
Although
the sanctuary was set up in late 1989,
it was only in 1997
that the general Malaysian public and the
world knew of its existence,
thanks to the far sightness of a very good
friend of the sanctuary,
who is often referred to as The
Elephant Man!
Not only did he suggested, created
activities and led
surprised visitors to
this sanctuary, but unselfishly
invited
the media, tourist guides and travel
agencies to see what
the
sanctuary has to offer as he realised that
the sanctuary IS for everyone!
The
rest, as they say....is history.
If
you do
meet him here during one of his volunteering visits
- feel free to
ask
anything there is about the sanctuary and
elephants over a cup of tea
and he will make your day a
very unforgetable one for you!
For that, a BIG
thank you,
Mr Elephant Man!
Even
tour guides and travel agencies
have benefitted tremendously
from the unselfish efforts of the
sanctuary's
No 1 EleFriend! The sanctuary certaintly needs more
sincere help from interested
individuals and organisations!
Objectives
of the Centre
- Overall
For the continuos conservation of
the elephants and its habitats through sustainable management in tandem
with the aspirations of the country.
- Immediate
1) Ensuring
of the protection and
management of the elephants and
its habitants
2) Enhancing the
public's knowledge,awareness
and
support on the
importance of
elephant
conservation.
3) Managing the Centre
as a
centre for
Research and Education as well as
an economic &
eco-tourism
activities site.
The
Centre has also played guests to interns/volunteers
with veterinary, zoologial and eco-tourism
and/or business/marketing OR
hands-on living skills backgrounds from Czech Republic, the UK,
the
US, New Zealand, Slovenia, France, Switzerland, Netherlands,
Germany
and Canada, not only
to offer their skills and knowledge for
the
conservation of elephants but, in exchange, to learn more about
the
local
culture, conservation efforts and the host country.
However, all volunteering
&
internship
opportunities have since been stopped
for an indefinite period as
a result of
various problems caused by an insensitive, ignorant & " ugly
" North American towards not only
the culture and the community @ the sanctuary but also towards several
visitors.
Not surprisingly, this " ugly " North
American volunteer was
uncharacteristically and unbelievably
endorsed
by his own
WORLD POLICEMAN embassy!!
ALWAYS proud
to be EleFriends!
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