Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar said three elephants were found dead in Kampung Sri Timur 3, Kluang, Johor yesterday, believed to be poisoned.

He said the results of an initial post-mortem conducted on the animals to identify the cause of death indicated there may be criminal elements involved.

"Nonetheless, the type of poison imbibed is still unknown as the samples of the liver and kidney of three elephants have to be sent to the Chemistry Department for analysis.

"The results of the toxicology analysis to identify the poison which caused the death of three female elephants would be out in three months,” he said in a statement today.

Yesterday, Kluang police chief ACP Mohd Abduh Ismail was reported as saying the elephants were found dead at 9.30 am by villagers who stumbled upon the three elephants lying motionless in the village.

In this regard, Xavier said the investigation of the Wildlife and National Parks Department in the surrounding area also found the private electric fencing put up by villagers there was not functioning which caused the elephants to intrude into the area.

"Based on the size of the soles of the dead elephants, they were estimated to be aged 18, 20 and 22 and it is believed the elephants were from a breakaway group of the Lenggor Forest Reserve in Johor,” he said.

Xavier said the department would be cooperating with the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) to make it a condition to install electric fencing in oil palm plantations near the forest reserve to prevent the wild elephants from damaging plantations and the village areas.

“The ministry urged parties with information on the death of the three elephants to call the Wildlife and National Parks Department by contacting 1-800-88-5151,” he said.

- Bernama