Elephants make good farmers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): There are two kinds of elephants in Sumatra. Bad
\nones and good ones. The bad ones attack villages and eat their
\ncrops. The good ones help plow farmlands and do odd jobs.<\/p>\n
A village in Lampung has succeeded in taming two elephants, so
\nthat they now do most of the plowing of rice fields in the area.<\/p>\n
\"We didn't have any problem in domesticating the elephants,\"
\nSamani, head of the Brambasan village in North Lampung, told
\nAntara.<\/p>\n
The two elephants can plow one hectare of rice fields in eight
\ndays. Since 1993, the two have plowed more than 25 hectares. The
\nelephants have also been useful in transporting logs and other
\nbulky goods, Samani said.<\/p>\n
Two elephant trainers are employed to manage the animals.<\/p>\n
News of the success with the elephants travels fast
\napparently. A number of other villages in Lampung have expressed
\ninterest in employing elephants. Their village chiefs have now
\nrequested elephants from the elephant training school in Way
\nKambas, which is also in Lampung.<\/p>\n
Over the past year the Ministry of Forestry has been trying to
\nencourage forestry concessionaires and farmers to employ
\nelephants as one way of resolving the problem of how to handle
\nthe elephants in Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Last year, at least 14 people were killed in raids by
\nelephants in various parts of Sumatra.<\/p>\n
One official suggested selected culling the animal as a way
\nout but the idea was quickly denounced by environmental
\ngroups.(29)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/elephants-make-good-farmers-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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