Seratu Aatai

“TEACHER, THE ELEPHANT IS SO BIG!!!” 🐘😆

Our trip to the interior part of Sabah, Sook, Keningau was filled with so much excitement, laughter, and curiosity. Many of the students there had never seen an elephant before, so we decided to bring the elephants to them through our VR sets!

Through the VR experience, the students joined our elephant collaring team, explored the forests of Kinabatangan, and followed Mr. Boots on an adventure through the incredible biodiversity of Lower Kinabatangan. Watching their reactions was priceless. Some were amazed, some screamed, and some kept asking to try the VR again and again 😂

But honestly… the biggest celebrity of the day might have been the elephant p**p 💩🤣

We never expected elephant p**p to bring THAT much joy. The students were so excited to touch it, ask questions about it, and proudly show their friends. Conservation education can be messy sometimes… but definitely fun 😁

Moments like this remind us why bringing conservation education to rural communities is so important. Sometimes, all it takes is one experience to spark curiosity and love for nature.

Huge thanks to for making this VR education program possible through their support, and thank you to the Sabah Forestry Department for having us!

Berbanyak tahniah kepada semua yang terlibat.

Kami berdukacita dengan berita kemalangan yang berlaku di Lahad Datu.

Semoga arwahyarham ditempatkan bersama-sama mereka yang soleh

أَللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْلَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ وَعَافِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنْهُ

Ya Allah. Engkau berilah keampunan baginya, dan limpahkan rahmat kepadanya, dan selamatkan dia dan dan maafkan kesalahannya. Engkau muliakan kedudukannya, dan luaskan tempat tinggalnya, dan sucikan dia dgn air, salji dan air yang sejuk. Engkau bersihkannya daripada kekotoran dosa sebagaimana dibersihkan pakaian yang putih dari segala kekotoran. Dan gantikan rumahnya dgn rumah yang lebih baik dan pasangan yang lebih baik. Masukkan dia ke dalam syurga dan lindungilah dia daripada azab kubur dan ujiannya serta jauhkan dia dari azab neraka.

Salam takziah buat keluarga, semoga diberi kekuatan dan ketabahan menghadapi ujian berat ini.

✨ Our Annual Report 2025 is here! ✨

For a small NGO, this is a big milestone!

Our Annual Report 2025 brings a year of frontline conservation straight to your screen, sharing what we do, why it matters, and who makes it possible.

2025 was a year of action across all three pillars of Seratu Aatai’s work, 1) Research, 2) Community Engagement and 3) Education and Awareness. Collaborating with communities, private sectors and government, we worked to shape landscapes where Bornean elephants and people can safely coexist.

We were humbled to receive three national and international awards in 2025, and in 2026, we’re ready to keep going!🐘💚

Our 2026 resolutions, as a team.

To grow stronger, stay grateful, take care of ourselves, and keep going no matter the challenge.

Ready for the year ahead.

Finding ways for people and elephants to live side by side is not always easy, but every small step matters. Willingness and understanding are what move us forward.

Thank you for your understanding, tolerance, and support in safeguarding the survival of our precious Bornean elephants. This effort belongs to all of us.

Check out our website and follow us on social media to find ways you can support Bornean elephant conservation.

While our team was making their way out of the forest, they came across a wild orangutan with her baby.

Seeing them together, moving freely and living their life as they naturally should, was truly magical.

Encounters like these remind us why protecting habitats and respecting wildlife is so important.

Cyrlen Jalius
Research Officer

My work in elephant conservation happens mostly in the lab, but it’s a role I’m proud of because the science behind the scenes is just as important as the work done in the field.

In the lab, I run tests, prepare samples, analyse data, and ensure every result is accurate and reliable. It requires focus, patience, and consistency and it has taught me how much careful science contributes to real conservation decisions.

One moment that stayed with me was when I ran a set of tests and realised how much each sample represented: real elephants, real challenges, and the hard work of our field team collecting them. It made the science feel even more meaningful.

I also had the chance to join a field visit to observe elephants in their habitat. Seeing them in the wild, the same elephants behind the samples I analyse helped me connect the dots between the lab and the landscape. It strengthened my sense of purpose and teamwork.

Even when I’m in the lab, updates from the field remind me that we’re all part of one effort. Different roles, different strengths but one mission.

My moments may be quiet ones, but they’re powerful to me. They remind me why I’m committed to this work, and why every part of the team matters, including mine.

Arnizam @ Jayen
Field Research Technician

My journey began in Pangi Forest Reserve, working with the HUTAN–KOCP team. I knew elephants only as giants of the forest, without understanding their personality or emotions. But the field has a way of teaching us what books never can.

Now, as a researcher with Seratu Aatai studying elephant hormones, I feel closer to their hidden world. Every dung sample carries clues — a heartbeat of their stress, calmness, and how they cope with human pressure and shrinking habitats.

Day by day, my curiosity grows. What makes them stressed? How do they comfort each other? How do they find their way when the forest gets smaller?

This work has taught me patience, compassion, and respect. Conservation is not just protecting an animal; it is learning to understand their feelings.

The Bornean elephants have changed me. They are not just wildlife — they are sentient beings with stories, relationships, and resilience. And every small step we take helps keep them alive and free in Sabah.

Arnizam @ Jayen
Field Research Technician

Segalanya bermula ketika saya bekerja bersama pasukan .earth sebagai Pembantu Penyelidik Burung Walit di Hutan Simpan Pangi. Ketika itu, saya hanya mengenali gajah Borneo sebagai haiwan besar di hutan tanpa memahami kehidupan dan emosi mereka. Namun, pengalaman di lapangan mengubah pandangan saya sepenuhnya.

Kini, sebagai penyelidik di Seratu Aatai yang mengendalikan projek hormon gajah, saya semakin dekat dengan dunia sains dan emosi haiwan ini. Setiap sampel najis yang dikutip membawa cerita tentang tahap tekanan dan ketenangan mereka, memberi saya gambaran tentang bagaimana gajah menyesuaikan diri dengan perubahan alam sekitar.

Minat saya semakin mendalam apabila memikirkan punca tekanan mereka, sama ada daripada gangguan manusia atau interaksi sesama gajah. Saya juga tertarik melihat corak pergerakan mereka yang berubah setiap tahun, tanda habitat semakin sempit akibat pembangunan.

Kerja ini menuntut kesabaran dan ketelitian, tetapi setiap hari di lapangan mengajar saya sesuatu yang baru. Dari seorang pembantu penyelidik burung, saya kini memahami bahawa pemuliharaan bukan sekadar melindungi haiwan, tetapi juga memahami perasaan dan keperluan mereka.

Gajah Borneo mengubah cara saya melihat dunia. Mereka bukan sekadar haiwan liar, tetapi makhluk yang mempunyai jiwa dan hubungan mendalam dengan alam. Setiap usaha kecil yang dilakukan adalah langkah penting untuk memastikan mereka terus hidup dan bebas di bumi Sabah.

We’ve wrapped up our collaring program for this season! 🐘

This time, we collared three elephants: tusker Max, tuskless male Bino, and female Naomi. Max and Bino are part of a group of ten elephants that spend most of their time in oil palm plantations, making their movements important to monitor.

Collaring isn’t simple, easy, or cheap. It takes careful planning, expertise, and resources. Because the program can be risky for both people and elephants, it must be done responsibly and with a clear purpose. Collared elephants are not for entertainment; their role is to inform and guide the communities that share the landscape.

A special thank you to Sabah Wildlife Department for supporting this program, and to the and for providing technical assistance during the collaring.