Sumatra
elephants probably poisoned for revenge
November 2012. Three critically-endangered Sumatran elephants have been found
dead in Indonesia's Riau Province; local authorities believe that they were
probably poisoned in a revenge attack by palm oil plantation workers.
Included
a 1 year old baby
The decomposing carcases of the female elephants, including a year-old baby, were found just outside the Tesso Nilo National Park. Park chief Kupin Simbolon said "We believe they died from poisoning. The elephants probably entered a palm oil plantation and destroyed the huts belonging to workers, who then sought revenge by poisoning them."
The decomposing carcases of the female elephants, including a year-old baby, were found just outside the Tesso Nilo National Park. Park chief Kupin Simbolon said "We believe they died from poisoning. The elephants probably entered a palm oil plantation and destroyed the huts belonging to workers, who then sought revenge by poisoning them."
Palm
oil
Indonesia's endangered elephants, tigers, rhinos and orangutans are increasingly threatened by their shrinking habitat in the jungle, which is commonly cleared for commercial farming or felled for lumber. Only 3,000 Sumatran elephants are believed to remain in the wild, a drop of 50% since 1985.
Indonesia's endangered elephants, tigers, rhinos and orangutans are increasingly threatened by their shrinking habitat in the jungle, which is commonly cleared for commercial farming or felled for lumber. Only 3,000 Sumatran elephants are believed to remain in the wild, a drop of 50% since 1985.
Elephant
Flying Squad
In 2004, WWF introduced the first Elephant Flying Squad to Riau Province in central Sumatra, to a village near the newly established Tesso Nilo National Park. It was a way to bring short-term relief to the intense conflict between people and elephants there and to create support for elephant conservation among hard-hit communities.
In 2004, WWF introduced the first Elephant Flying Squad to Riau Province in central Sumatra, to a village near the newly established Tesso Nilo National Park. It was a way to bring short-term relief to the intense conflict between people and elephants there and to create support for elephant conservation among hard-hit communities.
An
Elephant Flying Squad consists of nine rangers with noise and light-making
devices, a pick-up truck and four trained elephants that drive wild elephants
back into the forest whenever they threaten to enter villages. It has proven to
be very effective in reducing losses suffered by local communities near Tesso
Nilo.
Sumatran
elephants – declining rapidly
By
2008, Sumatran elephants had become locally extinct in 23 of the 43 ranges
identified in Sumatra in 1985, indicating a very significant decline of the
Sumatran elephant population. By 2008, the elephant was locally extinct in one
of Sumatra’s eight mainland provinces (West Sumatra) and at risk of being lost
from North Sumatra Province too. Only ca. 350 elephants survived across nine
separate ranges in Riau Province, which in 1985 was considered to have the
largest elephant population in Sumatra with over 1,600 individuals.
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