The elephant, aged between six and eight, was found to be in a weak condition by plantation workers at Ladang M4, Melangking oil palm plantation in Sukau, Kinabatangan.

It was dead by the time wildlife officers arrived.

Liew said she was informed of the latest case by Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga.

Samples from the elephant’s heart, lung, spleen, liver, stomach, kidney and small intestines have been taken for bacterial and toxicology analysis at the Chemistry Department.

Liew said the use of advanced equipment can detect and identify any toxic element present in the elephant samples collected.

Liew, who is also tourism, culture and environment minister, said the post-mortem findings were that death was likely to have been caused by a pathogenic (infective) agent or possible ingestion of a toxic agent.

“The animal was bloated and there was bleeding from the nostrils and mouth,” she said.

Veterinarian Dr R Roopan, who led the post-mortem, had said that the main cause of death had yet to be ascertained although there were signs of bacterial infection.

Kinabatangan district police chief Dzulbaharin Ismail said the post-mortem on the elephant did not show any signs of injury or gunshot wounds but indicated possible bacterial infection in the lungs.

The case is being investigated under Section 37 of the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 for hurting protected wildlife animals.