Malaysian biologist Farina Othman receives global award for collaborating with palm oil farmers to protect Sabah’s remaining 300 Bornean elephants

KOTA KINABALU, May 2 — Malaysian biologist Dr Farina Othman has been awarded the 2025 Whitley Award by the UK-based Whitley Fund for Nature for her efforts to protect the last 300 Bornean elephants in Sabah’s east coast.

Farina, founder of Seratu Aatai (meaning “solidarity”), works with palm oil companies and smallholders in the Lower Kinabatangan to reduce human-elephant conflict and promote coexistence. Her project focuses on creating elephant-friendly corridors and implementing sustainable practices that benefit both wildlife and agriculture.

The award was presented by Princess Anne at London’s Royal Geographical Society on April 30.

Fewer than 1,000 Bornean elephants remain in Sabah, having lost 60% of their forest habitat over the past 40 years. Farina’s work involves engaging plantation staff and local communities in citizen science, training them to monitor elephant movements and identify individual animals. Her team will also help establish conservation guidelines and promote sustainable farming techniques.

The project supports broader conservation goals, including the proposed Kinabatangan Biosphere Reserve. Other local species such as orangutans and sun bears will also benefit from her efforts.

Farina is also a senior lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Sabah. — The Borneo Post