A group of wildlife researchers found an elephant with tusks growing downwards in Malaysia's palm oil plantation.

The Wildlife Rescue Unit from the Sabah Wildlife Department had received reports of three elephants in a plantation that needed to be transported out.

One was an elephant with tusks that grow downward instead upward like most elephants.

The 'rare' elephant is now in the Borneo Elephant Sanctuary while the department decides on the safest place to release the animal.

Sen Nathan, the assistant director of the Sabah Wildlife Department said studies will be done to determine the cause of downward-growing tusks.

Nathan added that another elephant is also confirmed to have similar downward-growing tusks and is in one of the forest reserves in Sabah.