Illegal loggin, poaching threaten Sumatran elephants<\/p>\n
Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung, Lampung<\/p>\n
The endangered Sumatran elephant population is dwindling, as
\ntheir natural habitat in protected forests in Lampung province
\nhave been diminished by both illegal logging and poaching.<\/p>\n
Poaching of rare animals in South Bukit Barisan National Park
\n(TNBBS) and Way Kambas National Park is increasing in frequency
\ndue to loose supervision by forestry officials and park rangers.<\/p>\n
Poachers do not hunt for meat, but rather for the elephants'
\nvaluable tusks. Elephant tusks, as well as tiger pelts and
\nrhinoceros horns, are exorbitantly priced: Poachers reap a few
\nhundred thousand rupiah per kilogram from middlemen for elephant
\ntusks, while middlemen get about Rp 1.5 million (US$170.00) a
\nkilogram from dealers. Tiger pelt fetches between Rp 10 million
\nto Rp 15 million for skin measuring 1.8 by 2 meters. The price of
\nrhino horn, fabled for its aphrodisiacal properties, goes for Rp
\n8 million to Rp 10 million per ounce.<\/p>\n
\"If poaching is not immediately stopped, rhinos, elephants and
\ntigers in Lampung will be extinct in 10 years' time. Moreover,
\nthey have a very long reproductive cycle,\" said executive
\ndirector of non-governmental organization (NGO) Watala nature
\nlovers organization, Joko Santoso.<\/p>\n
TNBBS data shows that from 1993 to 2003, more than 200
\nelephants were poached and more than three tons of elephant tusks
\nwere traded. In addition, hundreds of Sumatran tigers (Panthera
\ntigris sumatrae) and dozens of rhinoceroses have been poached,
\ntheir pelts and horns traded both domestically and
\ninternationally.<\/p>\n
Investigative reports from the Wildlife Conservation Society
\n(WCS) indicate that as many as 20 elephants have been killed, 33
\ntigers skinned and six rhinoceroses decimated each year in the
\npark by poachers.<\/p>\n
The rate of poaching is extremely high compared to the small
\npopulation of elephants, tigers and rhinoceroses: South Bukit
\nBarisan contains less than 500 elephants, 300 tigers and 60
\nrhinos now.<\/p>\n
The park, designated a protected nature reserve since Oct. 14,
\n1982, is situated at the southern tip of Sumatra and covers about
\n360,000 hectares. Almost 300,000 hectares of the park is located
\nin Lampung province, which stretches from West Lampung and
\nTanggamus regencies, while the remaining 60,000 hectares is in
\nBengkulu province.<\/p>\n
Dwi Nugroho, a WCS activist, gave two motives for the rampant
\npoaching in the protected forest: one, for sport or prestige;
\ntwo, the lax supervision from park authorities, which provided an
\nopportunity to poach freely.<\/p>\n
The loose patrol and monitoring is evident in the scarcity of
\nforest rangers and ranger stations. The park spans a geographical
\nexpanse containing mangrove, lowland and montane forests, and is
\nprotected by only 67 forest rangers based at two stations -- at
\nKotaagung, Tanggamus regency, and Bengkunat, West Lampung.<\/p>\n
Six unguarded roads lead to the protected forest, three of
\nwhich are asphalted and are known to be used by poachers. Under
\nsuch conditions, poachers are easily able to enter the forest,
\nmake their kill and get away unseen.<\/p>\n
To compound matters, awareness of environmental protection and
\nconservation issues is low among local villagers, who still
\nconsider elephants and tigers to be pests that must be
\nexterminated.<\/p>\n
Dwi also believes the light sanctions in place for violators
\n-- amounting to no more than a mere slap on the wrist -- was one
\nof the major obstacles to eradicating poaching of animals and
\ntrees both.<\/p>\n
He cited Law No. 5\/1990 on conservation of natural resources
\nand ecosystems, which stipulates that anyone found poaching
\nanimals or wood in protected forests could face a maximum of five
\nyears' imprisonment or a maximum Rp 100 million fine.<\/p>\n
In practice, however, many violators are jailed only five
\nmonths.<\/p>\n
The poachers' methods are inhumane: Poachers generally use
\nguns or blowpipes loaded with tranquilizer darts to bring an
\nelephant down, then hack off their tusks and saw off their feet
\nor pry off their nails, leaving the elephant to bleed to death
\nand rot in the jungle.<\/p>\n
However, efforts to curb poaching are being made, and the
\nSouth Bukit Barisan park, along with the West Lampung Police and
\nseveral environmental NGOs have formed a Harimau-Gajah-Badak
\n(tiger, elephant and rhinoceros), or HGB, anti-poaching team.<\/p>\n
In addition, the WCS, the local Nature Resources Conservation
\nCenter, the Alas Foundation, Watala and the Lampung Alliance of
\nIndependent Journalists have established the Wildlife Crime Unit
\n(WCU) to monitor poaching in the national forest. The WCU will be
\naccompanied by Lampung Police on each inspection tour.<\/p>\n
The endeavors of the NGO network has already resulted in a
\nnumber of arrests of poachers, of whom several have been tried
\nand convicted and are serving prison sentences at the Liwa
\nCorrectional Facility, West Lampung.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/illegal-loggin-poaching-threaten-sumatran-elephants-1447893297",
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