Conservationists fight to save elephants<\/p>\n
MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): In Aceh, another battle is being
\nfought, but this time it is between elephants and people.<\/p>\n
As a result of excessive deforestation and land clearing,
\nelephant habitats are shrinking. Increasingly, they find that
\nland on their migration paths has been converted to gardens or
\nplantations, presenting them with a choice of good food.<\/p>\n
Villagers' crops and houses are damaged, and in their efforts
\nto drive the elephants away, people sometimes also get hurt.
\nEventually, the elephants return, risking injury and even death.<\/p>\n
The conservation NGO Flora and Fauna International (FFI)
\nstarted their Conservation of Elephant Landscapes in Aceh (CELA)
\nproject last year, and are assisting the government in trying to
\naddress elephant conservation problems.<\/p>\n
Using land-use data and records of elephant presence,
\npotential elephant conservation areas and corridors are being
\nidentified and mapped.<\/p>\n
With the support of local government, NGOs, and village heads,
\nthe local field staff conduct surveys to track the movements of
\nelephant herds, and the resulting maps are provided to land-use
\nplanners. Project staff regularly meet with community leaders to
\ndiscuss conservation issues, and give talks to local schools. The
\nelephant is a well-known animal that serves as a powerful symbol
\nfor conservation awareness campaigns.<\/p>\n
Once, elephants were an integral part of Acehnese culture.
\nOlder villagers still call them Po Meurah; the old, respectful
\nname for the elephant. The concept of penebangan haram (that
\ncutting the forests is not only illegal, but is also against
\nGod's will) is becoming widely accepted as a strong reason to
\nconserve the environment. Some village leaders have expressed
\ntheir interest in taking small numbers of trained elephants and
\ntheir mahouts to work in their villages, thus helping to
\nrevitalize the old \"elephant culture\".<\/p>\n
Villagers who are in regular conflicts with elephants are
\nbeing encouraged by FFI staff to review the kinds of crops they
\ngrow. Crops that are not eaten by elephants, but which have a
\nsignificant market value, are one option, although this must not
\nentail the opening up of further forested land.<\/p>\n
Assistance will then be provided in equipping the villagers
\nwith the skills and resources necessary for making the necessary
\nchanges to their agricultural practices. Traditional methods of
\nscaring away elephants, such as horn trumpets and damar resin
\ntorches, are being revived and taught to villagers in other
\nareas.<\/p>\n
Project staff have also distributed simple battery-operated
\nsearchlights, as these are proving to be a useful, cost-effective
\nmethod of scaring away elephants.<\/p>\n
The government authorities responsible for the protection of
\nwildlife and conservation areas are also given technical support
\nby the project, but they cannot solve these problems alone. The
\nprivate sector, including logging and plantation companies, can
\nalso play their part in elephant conservation. Provision by them
\nof strategically-placed barriers in areas prone to elephant
\nconflicts would also help to protect neighboring village gardens.<\/p>\n
Companies might also be made legally responsible for providing
\ncompensation if elephants still raid the villagers' gardens. The
\nsuccess of this will depend on the willingness of the companies
\nconcerned to acknowledge some responsibility for causing at least
\nsome of the conflict problems. They might then be encouraged to
\nallow elephant corridors to be established in their plantations,
\nso that elephants can still safely migrate from one area of
\nforest to another.<\/p>\n
Lastly, the law enforcement agencies can do much more to
\nreduce the incidence of illegal logging and encroachment.<\/p>\n
Review of regulations<\/p>\n
In this new era of decentralization, there is an opportunity
\nto review the existing regulations pertaining to the issuance of
\npermits for land conversion.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, programs are needed at village level, to clarify
\nvillagers' legal rights and responsibilities, and provide them
\nwith a stronger basis with which to negotiate land-use and crop
\ndamage issues.<\/p>\n
Failure to take this opportunity for positive change will
\nincrease the chances of tensions arising between people and
\nelephants. Throughout Sumatra, villagers are threatening to
\npoison and kill any elephants that stray onto their farms, and in
\nsome cases, these threats have already been carried out, using
\npoison and wire snares. Recently, a baby elephant was reported to
\nhave been hacked to death after being left behind when the herd
\nwas driven away.<\/p>\n
A recent report from India suggests that the long-term
\neconomic gains from the use of tame elephants in supporting
\nactivities such as ecotourism far outweigh the profits made from
\ndestruction and conversion of their habitat.<\/p>\n
Treks for viewing wild elephants and other wildlife from
\nelephant back are successful in other countries, such as Nepal
\nand Thailand. The hundreds of tame, captive elephants wasting
\naway in the training centers throughout Sumatra could be used for
\nthis and other purposes, provided that they are treated humanely
\nand there is strict management.<\/p>\n
While this has yet to be tested in Indonesia, FFI-CELA sees it
\nas an option that is well worth exploring. The elephants
\ncertainly deserve a better fate than the one that currently
\nawaits them. (Ron Lilley)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/conservationists-fight-to-save-elephants-1447893297",
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