Elephants run wild as their habitat shrinks<\/p>\n
Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung<\/p>\n
A herd of some 20 wild elephants from the South Bukit Barisan
\nNational Park (TNBBS) in Lampung ventured again into nearby
\nsettlements in the past week, ravaging dozens of hectares
\nplantations and residents' houses as their habitat continues to
\nshrink.<\/p>\n
The elephants invaded Tambak Asri, Tenam Sembilan and Sri
\nMenanti villages in Way Tenong district, West Lampung on Tuesday
\nnight, destroying a house in Tambak Asri and two houses in Tenam
\nSembilan.<\/p>\n
Joko Santoso of the Illegal Logging Response Center here, said
\nthat the elephants had resorted to destructive behavior due to
\nthe gradual encroachment on their habitat by illegal loggers and
\nthe consequent shortage of food. \"Extensive land clearance and
\nillegal logging activities have heightened the conflict between
\nthe elephants and residents living around the national park,\"
\nsaid Joko.<\/p>\n
According to Joko, there are still around 300 to 400 elephants
\nremaining in the South Bukit Barisan and Way Kambas national
\nparks. \"They require an adequate range of habitats and food
\nsources, without which they will come out from the forest and
\nventure into farms or plantations and villages near them,\" said
\nJoko. The conflict has been going for the past few years and it
\nremains to be seen whether the problem can be resolved soon.<\/p>\n
When The Jakarta Post visited the Sri Menanti area (bordering
\nTNBBS) last year, most parts of the forest were barren. Dozens of
\nhectares of coffee plantations, an elementary school and
\nresidents' houses were found precisely on the fringes of Sri
\nMenanti village and the national park.<\/p>\n
Based on TNBBS data, Sri Menanti village was enclosed in the
\npark previously. In the 1970s, the location was omitted from the
\npark territory and turned into a village.<\/p>\n
Trucks carrying sacks of coffee cultivated within the park
\narea, can be seen every day passing along the main road leading
\nto Sri Menanti. Dozens of villages found in West Lampung were
\npreviously included within the park zone.<\/p>\n
A former World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) activist, Emon, 30,
\nsaid that the elephants had resorted to such behavior because
\ntheir habitat had been encroached on due to rampant illegal
\nlogging.<\/p>\n
According to Emon, the wild elephants frequently enter the
\nsettlements as they feel restless in the forest due to poachers.
\n\"Actually, hunters are issued permits to hunt deer. But, who can
\nguarantee they won't shoot at elephants and tigers? Eight
\nelephant carcasses were found in the national park last year,
\nabandoned by poachers after cutting off their tusks,\" said the
\nenvironmentalist who is monitoring large wildlife species, such
\nas elephants, rhinoceroses and tigers.<\/p>\n
Head of the South Bukit Barisan National Park, Tamen Sitorus,
\nsaid that the herd of elephants usually enter the villages twice
\na year using a similar route generally at night and return to the
\nforest the next morning.<\/p>\n
According to Tamen, his office has assigned seven forest
\nrangers, assisted by local residents, to drive the elephants back
\nto the forest using traditional methods, such as bamboo torches
\nand beating bamboo or wooden drums.<\/p>\n
\"We certainly cannot blame the elephants because they enter
\nthe villages because their habitat is damaged. Illegal logging
\nactivities have continued unabated. Most of the villages, now
\ncrowded with people, were once the elephants' habitat,\" said
\nTamen.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/elephants-run-wild-as-their-habitat-shrinks-1447893297",
"image": ""
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