BORNEO'S mysterious pygmy elephants may be the last survivors of Javan elephants thought to have become extinct centuries ago, the environmental group WWF said today.

The pygmy elephant has an appealing rounded appearance, and males stand only about 2.5 metres tall, compared to about 3.0 metres for mainland Asian elephants.

Their faces are smaller and squarer, their tails are longer, reaching almost to the ground, and their tusks are straighter.

Another major difference is their good temperament, calmer even than the Asian elephant which is famously cooperative and hardworking compared to the larger, more aggressive African subspecies which is rarely tamed.

It was only in 2003 that the pygmy elephants were identified as a new subspecies after DNA testing found they were genetically distinct.

WWF said satellite tracking has shown the animals prefer the same lowland habitat that is being increasingly cleared for timber, rubber and palm oil plantations.