Management and Ecology of Malaysian Elephants (MEME) functions as a research project that thrives to develop and assess conservation biology for our native species.
The translocation of conflict elephants has been carried out by the Malaysian Wildlife Department (Perhilitan) for many decades now however questions still remain as to whether this translocation is a viable strategy for managing the problematic individuals. Our collaboration with Perhilitan in applying GPS collars on these elephants allows us to track and monitor their movements across Malaysia.
The domino effect of studying these gentle giants are endless as they can be classed as shapers of the ecosystem and through understanding them can we better our decision to halt their decline and ultimately, preserve their existence.
MEME is a 5-year research project that aims to:
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1.assess the effectiveness of ongoing elephant conservation and management practices;
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2.develop a long-term elephant conservation strategy based on the understanding of elephant behavior, ecology, and relationships with people; and
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3.build capacity within government agencies responsible of elephant conservation and the local community of wildlife researchers in Peninsular Malaysia.
