"Local authorities found a wild elephant poached and skinned in Myittaya Forest Reserve in Ngapudaw Township, Irrawaddy Region on Sunday. “The elephant might have died two days ago,” Police Lieutenant Colonel Tun Shwe, spokesperson for the Irrawaddy Region Police Force, told The Irrawaddy. “We found injuries on its neck and ears, and half of its body was skinned.” Local residents of Htantabin Village found the dead elephant in the forest reserve around 5 miles west of their village and informed forestry police, local police and village administrators about the elephant. The female elephant was over 2 m tall and 2 m long. She was approximately 23 years old. She is the second elephant to be poached in 2019 in Ngapudaw Township. The first elephant was poached in February. “We are doing our best to keep wild elephants safe in our region and we are sorry that an elephant was killed despite our efforts,” said U Kyaw Myint Tun, administrator for Tin Chaung Village-Tract. “The authorities should adopt a systematic plan for elephant conservation rather than a reactive approach.” U Kyaw Myint Tun has won an award from State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for his efforts to conserve elephants..."