A smaller and tamer subspecies of "pgymy" elephant has been discovered in Borneo island following DNA tests, the WWF conservation group said today.

Found in Malaysia's Sabah, the elephants have significantly different characteristics from their cousins in mainland Asia and Sumatra, WWF Malaysia said in a statement on its website .

"They are relatively tame and mild-tempered when compared to other Asian elephants. Borneos elephants are also smaller in size," said its chairman Tengku Zainal Adlin.