The tragic death of 14 endangered Borneo pygmy elephants in a Sabah forest reserve has sent shockwaves across the globe, and must be investigated thoroughly, said non-governmental organisation (NGO) Land Empowerment Animals People (LEAP).

In a statement today, LEAP Executive Director Cynthia Ong said the authorities must get to the bottom of the matter, and welcomed a call by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman demanding a probe and pledging to bring the culprits to justice.

"Our global partners are equally shocked and upset. They want to know the outcome of the investigation. While media reports indicate the elephants may have died of poisoning, we will only know what really happened after the post mortem results are out and investigations completed.

"In the meantime, I hope we can keep calm, withhold speculation, and support each other while deeper investigations are being carried out, and trust that information will be openly shared with both local and global communities as soon as there is clarity over the tragic deaths," Ong said.

LEAP also fully supports the elevation of pygmy elephants to Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Enactment that will provide the mammals with Totally Protected status.

"Stiffer penalties, coupled with enhanced enforcement and prosecution of offenders, should act as more effective deterrents against this sort of tragic events," Ong said.

Ong further welcomed a statement by Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun that the State Government will review its conservation efforts and strengthen its Elephant Action Plan to ensure that similar tragedies are prevented.

"We concur with the Minister (Masidi) that there is a need to overcome weaknesses and tackle shortcomings. This tragedy could also serve as an impetus to strengthen joint work and partnerships between government, industry and NGOs.

"LEAP has been invited to a meeting on the setting up of the State Wildlife Enforcement Task Force next Monday, and will contribute our thoughts through this platform," Ong said.

She stressed that the state government must also work towards securing privately owned land for conservation of wildlife habitats and include more of such areas into the permanent forest estate.

Ong reiterated a recent joint statement LEAP issued with WWF-Malaysia and HUTAN on the planned clearing of a 400-hectare privately-owned forested land for oil palm next to the Kulamba Wildlife Reserve in Lahad Datu, a critical area for Orang Utan and other endangered wildlife.

"Although the recent deaths did not occur close to Kulamba Wildlife Reserve, our decision to collectively raise the alarm about the planned clearing was done to ensure that our already endangered wildlife will not face further threats due to land conversion," she said.

Professor Dan Kammen of University of Berkeley, California noted with sadness the deaths of the elephants.

"Even in Sabah, a leader in integrating conservation, stewardship and sustainable development, the lesson is that constant vigilance is vital to protect and defend our common future," Kammen, a LEAP board member, said.