BRIDGING WORLDS: NURZHAFARINA’S MISSION TO UNITE COMMUNITIES AND ENDANGERED BORNEAN ELEPHANTS

By Fadzli Ramli

KOTA KINABALU, May 17 (Bernama) -- Deep in the lush forests of Borneo lies a story not just about conflict, but about the coexistence of humans and elephants learning to share the same land.

It’s a journey of understanding between two worlds, woven into the complex rhythm of life.

In an exclusive interview with Bernama, Dr Nurzhafarina Othman, a leading Malaysian elephant conservationist, said one could spend a lifetime studying the Bornean elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis) - the way they move, eat and live, yet still miss half the story if we don’t also listen to the people who live alongside them.

Much like finding the perfect recipe, conserving Bornean elephants requires balance. According to the 2025 Whitley Award recipient, success lies not only in understanding the science of conservation, but also in connecting with the hearts of the local communities who have long hosted these gentle giants.

“Conservation must happen on two levels. We need to understand elephants, and at the same time, we need to understand people. We can’t focus only on the elephants. They’re actually easier to learn about. They don’t change their minds easily, so they’re easier to understand.

“Humans, on the other hand, can be supportive one day and change the next. But they’re not just bystanders, they’re key players in this ongoing conservation story. So we’re trying to balance both approaches to ensure we achieve meaningful conservation,” she said.

Nurzhafarina, a Senior Lecturer at the Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), was recently honoured with the 2025 Whitley Award, also known as the ‘Green Oscar’, presented by the United Kingdom-based Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN).

The prestigious award recognises her tireless efforts in protecting the Bornean elephant and comes with a grant of £50,000 (about RM287,000), presented by WFN Patron Princess Anne at the Royal Geographical Society, London, on April 30.

Nurzhafarina, who is also the founder and director of ‘Seratu Aatai’, a non-profit organisation whose name means ‘united hearts’, said the Bornean elephants are listed as ‘Endangered’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List due to their small and declining population.

She estimates that only around 250 of them remain in Sabah.

She said that in working with communities affected by elephant-related issues, her team found that many locals often felt isolated and unsure of what to do when elephants entered their areas.

“Imagine, these elephants are huge, and the people don’t know what to do. Their crops, like oil palm, are their main source of income. When fear sets in, we need to stand with them, help them understand and work together to find solutions,” Nurzhafarina said.

As such, she said Seratu Aatai plays a vital role in ‘uniting hearts’, bringing together all stakeholders and nurturing a more positive outlook on conservation by shifting how people perceive elephants.

She said elephants are often viewed as the responsibility of the government, NGOs or institutions like UMS, but in truth, they belong to everyone, especially the communities living closest to them. Her goal is to help communities see that elephants are part of their shared environment.

“We often hear about human-elephant conflict, but we want to change the way people see that issue. Awareness doesn’t instantly lead to action. We need to walk alongside them, learning together what works and what doesn’t. We’re always listening.

“We try to be the bridge between voices that often go unheard and those with more resources, like government agencies or global organisations such as WFN. Together, we run programmes with communities to understand elephant behaviour, track their movements and guide them to safer areas,” she said.

She said solutions must be holistic, not just relocating problems elsewhere.

“We don’t want a mindset of ‘as long as it’s not in my backyard’. Instead, we want everyone to unite in tackling this as a shared responsibility,” Nurzhafarina said. 

According to Nurzhafarina, one of the biggest challenges communities face is a lack of resources. Many affected villagers are smallholders surrounded by large oil palm estates that can afford infrastructure like electric fencing or drainage systems.

As a result, elephants are more likely to enter small farms, making it essential for big industry players, especially large plantation owners, to share responsibility in addressing the issue, she said. 

“While law enforcement is important, communities must also be given the tools and support to implement effective protection strategies. Unfortunately, most of them just can’t afford to do that on their own,” she added.

She said previous studies by her team showed that the people of Sabah do understand the root causes of this conflict and genuinely value elephants. However, their biggest concern is the elephants entering their living areas.

Nurzhafarina said the situation calls for a more comprehensive approach.

“We need to help communities understand that elephant habitats are shrinking. The solution requires collaboration from everyone, not just smallholders, but also large landowners. We need to work on a larger scale, beyond isolated efforts,” she stressed. 

Still, she acknowledged that bringing all stakeholders together with a shared vision remains a challenge, and one that will require ongoing cooperation, trust and empathy.

-- BERNAMA