Saving Sumatra's elephants<\/p>\n
Are the days when Sumatra's wild elephants can freely roam
\nabout over? One cannot help but foresee such a picture after
\nlearning of a proposal from Transmigration Minister Siswono
\nYudohusodo a few days back that culling the elephants' numbers is
\nthe only way of controlling the Sumatran pachyderm population.<\/p>\n
Siswono's plan includes shooting elephants with tusks longer
\nthan 30 centimeters. He hopes his scheme will be able to achieve
\na balance between the number of animals -- there are about 4,000
\nelephants roaming 44 areas in Sumatra -- and their dwindling
\nhabitat, mostly caused by development of the region.<\/p>\n
As anyone can surmise, the battle between Sumatra's wild
\nelephants and development has been a one-sided affair. For
\ndecades, population growth, the expansion of agriculture and
\nlivestock raising, pollution, and the building of cities and
\nroads have diminished the quantity and quality of natural
\nhabitats worldwide.<\/p>\n
The case of Sumatra's wild elephants is no exception. They are
\nnot only considered an obstruction to development but also a
\npest: Some 14 people were reportedly killed by rampaging
\nelephants in Lampung province between 1989 and 1993. Over the
\nlast three years, more than 850,000 hectares of plantations in
\nRiau province were ransacked by the animals. Farmers, plantation
\nowners and forest concession holders have for years cried out for
\nrevenge.<\/p>\n
And Minister Siswono's culling plan seems to be the
\ngovernment's likely solution. But, perhaps, to prevent an even
\ngreater outcry from environmentalists who oppose the proposal,
\nyesterday Minister of Forestry Djamaloedin Soeryohadikoesoemo
\nannounced a softer policy for handling the Sumatran elephants.
\nWhile it outlines a plan for elephant utilization for tourism and
\nplantations, it says that \"overpopulation of elephants in certain
\nregions could be solved by using population control through
\nconservation procedures under the auspices of the Indonesian
\nInstitute of Sciences (LIPI).\"<\/p>\n
Although Djamaloedin's statement did not mention the specific
\nissue of \"overpopulation\", it hinted that some 700 elephants now
\nlive outside their natural habitats in Lampung province and thus
\none can guess that they would be the first group to be culled.<\/p>\n
We question whether culling and population control are the
\nonly solutions to solving the problem? In this age of
\n\"development\" it is understandable for people and government
\ndecision-makers to put economic considerations above everything
\nelse. Since agriculture, plantations and roads seem to have a
\ngreater economic value then the conservation of nature, a case
\ncan be made for sacrificing wild elephants in the name of
\n\"progress.\"<\/p>\n
But one should not forget that admirable pledge stipulated in
\nthe World Charter for Nature, adopted by the United Nations in
\n1982. It says, among other things, that \"humankind is part of
\nnature, that every form of life is unique and warrants respect
\nregardless of its worth to human beings, and that lasting
\nbenefits from nature depend upon the maintenance of essential
\necological processes and life-support systems and upon the
\ndiversity of life forms.\"<\/p>\n
On top of that, people need to recognize that the reasons for
\nthe existence of species and ecosystems may be more subtle and
\ninscrutable than simply supporting the economic desires of the
\ncurrent generation of consumers.<\/p>\n
Besides, it has been proven lately that biological resources
\nhave vast economic potential. So one should not underestimate the
\nfact that preserving Sumatra's wild elephants, and hence also
\nSumatra's rainforests, may have a future economic value that is
\nfar greater than merely as lots to be given away for the
\nresettlement of people.<\/p>\n
In other words, while we do not know for sure what the actual
\nprice of our biological resources is, we should not be too hasty
\nin making decisions on the basis of our current needs alone.
\nOtherwise, one day when the dust finally settles, we could be
\nleft with nothing but our greed.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/saving-sumatras-elephants-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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