ID :
288111
Wed, 06/05/2013 - 13:45
Auther :

Over 100 Elephants Killed In Riau Since 2004

Pekanbaru, Riau, June 5 (Antara) - More than 100 Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus) have been killed in Riau Province`s forests since 2004, according to data of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). "This condition is very worrying," Syamsidar, a spokesperson of the WWF Riau office, said here on Wednesday. Most of the deaths were due to wild elephants and human conflicts between 2004 and 2009, she said. The elephant population in Riau in 2009 was only 150-200 heads. During 2009-2013, more than 40 elephants were killed including in Tesso Nilo National Park in Pelalawan District, Riau Province. More than 10 elephants were killed in 2009, 13 in 2010, 10 in 2011, and 12 in 2012. "During January-May 2013, three elephants were killed," she said, adding that one was found dead on May 6 and two others on May 31 in Tesso Nilo National Park. The elephants were killed in various ways, including by poisoning and being entangled. Weak law enforcement in Riau also contributed to the high number of elephant deaths, Syamsidar said. "WWF has urged the government to deal firmly with the elephant death cases in Riau but the realization in the field is not good enough," she added. Forest conversion into plantation area, in particular oil palm plantations, has triggered the elephant-human conflicts that lead to the animal deaths. Elephants often entered oil palm plantations because oil palm trees are their favorite food, she added. Human-elephant conflicts also often occur in Aceh, Lampung and Jambi Provinces on Sumatra Island. Between 2000 to 2007, conflicts between people and elephants had killed a total of 42 people and 100 elephants on the Island. Some factors which caused the elephant population to drop included deforestation, poaching and human encroachment to the animal`s habitats.

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