Way Kambas elephant training center falling apart<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Way Kambas, Lampung<\/p>\n
There was neither a fiesta nor a spectacular ceremony. Nor was
\nthere a special attraction, only a modest observance to
\ncommemorate the 17th anniversary of the Way Kambas elephant
\ntraining center.<\/p>\n
No special emotion was shown either by staff members at the
\ntraining center on that day, Tuesday, Aug.27, 2002.<\/p>\n
Only two elephants were seen nearby the parking lot of the
\nonce famous elephant training center when we arrived here last
\nweek. Our bad impression of the swampy tourist resort grew upon
\ndiscovering that the center does not have the appearance of a
\nnormal tourist attraction.<\/p>\n
The grass in the parking lot is knee-high, indicating that
\nthere are no gardeners or cleaners working here. A small mosque
\nand a public toilet near the parking lot are in a disgraceful
\nstate. Only seven of the many warung, or food stalls, built to
\ncater to visitors are open because few people visit the center.<\/p>\n
\"The number of visitors has continued to decrease over the
\npast three years. You guys are my first customers today,\" said
\nstall owner Yunarsih, 38.<\/p>\n
She added that visitors, mostly students from Jakarta,
\nPalembang, and Lampung, usually came on weekends and school
\nholidays.<\/p>\n
Yunarsih said that the number of visitors could reach 100
\nduring school holidays.<\/p>\n
The government opened the Way Kambas elephant training center
\nas a tourist attraction in 1985. It is one of three elephant
\ntraining centers in Sumatra. The other two are in Jambi and Riau
\nprovinces. The Way Kambas training center, which covers an area
\nof 1,000 hectares (ha), is part of the 130,000-ha Way Kambas
\nNational Park.<\/p>\n
Lampung is one of the most densely populated regions in
\nSumatra, having the highest rate of population growth in
\nIndonesia, and a population which increased from 1,667,511 in
\n1961 to 6.5 million this year.<\/p>\n
As a result Lampung, more than any other province in
\nIndonesia, has been subject to large-scale deforestation, with a
\nresulting decline in forest cover from 44 percent in the 1960s to
\n17 percent in 1985, to make way for agricultural and
\ntransmigration developments.<\/p>\n
In Sumatra, many settlers subsist on rice, maize, sweet
\npotatoes, fruit and coffee cultivation and work in oil palm,
\nsugar cane and rubber plantations. This cultivation and the
\nplantations often occupy the traditional home ranges of local
\nelephant populations. As a result these areas often suffer from
\nfrequent and persistent crop raiding by the beasts.<\/p>\n
The surge in recent decades of the number of plantations,
\nagricultural projects, logging operations and transmigration
\nsettlements has removed wild elephants from their favored lowland
\nhabitats, causing huge habitat loss and degradation of much of
\nthe remaining habitat, with an inevitable increase in human-
\nelephant conflict.<\/p>\n
The elephant training centers were established to help solve
\nthe problems caused by such conflict.<\/p>\n
Studies from around Way Kambas reveal that crop raiding here
\nfollows a typical pattern, with elephants usually entering
\ncultivated land either singly or in groups at dusk and foraging
\non crops until they are driven back or leave before dawn.<\/p>\n
The Way Kambas elephant center is located in Central Lampung
\nregency, some 105 kilometers north of Bandar Lampung. There is no
\npublic transportation available to take visitors directly from
\nBandar Lampung to the tourism site. Instead, people have to rent
\na car or change buses several times to get here. At Rp 1,500 per
\nperson, the entrance ticket is relatively cheap.<\/p>\n
All the pawang, (elephant tamers), in the training center were
\ntaught by pawang from Thailand. Unlike Indonesian pawang, the
\nThai tamers train elephants for use in the logging industry. In
\nIndonesia, skilled elephants serve no purpose other than to
\nentertain tourists.
\nThanks to the pawang from Thailand, who have shared their
\nexpertise with their Indonesian counterparts, the center has
\nbuilt a reputation for its famous elephant soccer game. Besides
\ntheir ability to train elephants as football players, the
\ncenter's pawang have also succeeded in training elephants to
\nbecome obedient animals that \"follow\" the orders of their pawang.<\/p>\n
Dozens of elephants that have graduated from the Way Kambas
\nschool have been sent to the Taman Safari park in Cisarua, West
\nJava, Bali, and South Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
The decreasing number of visitors has badly affected the
\nworkers and tamers.<\/p>\n
Palgunadi, one of the pawang, said that his bonus had
\ndecreased significantly due to the declining number of visitors.<\/p>\n
Like other pawang, Palgunadi receives a monthly salary of Rp
\n300,000, plus Rp 60,000 in transport allowance. He gets extra
\nincome from visitors who ride the elephant. An elephant ride
\ncosts visitors Rp 50,000.<\/p>\n
Darmaji, 47, who heads the Way Kambas elephant training
\ncenter, said due to the limited budget from the government he
\ncould not maintain the site properly. He refused to mention the
\namount.<\/p>\n
At the beginning, he recalled, the center was allowed to catch
\nand train wild elephants from the Way Kambas National Park. Two
\nyears ago, however, they were told not to catch elephants
\nanymore.<\/p>\n
Approximately 600 elephants remain in Lampung, and between 300
\nand 500 wild elephants are found in the Way Kambas National Park.<\/p>\n
There are now 79 elephants in the center. All are relatively
\nhealthy although sometimes they get sick due to worms.<\/p>\n
It takes a lot of money to maintain the training center,
\nincluding the purchase of food and vitamins and to finance the
\nmedical checkups of the elephants. Each day, the center has to
\nprovide three truckloads of special grass and coconut leaves.
\nMore elephants means more money, and the center simply cannot
\nafford it.<\/p>\n
Today, the swampy area has lost its appeal due to a lack of
\nfunds and attention from the government. Will the center's sorry
\nstate make a strong enough case to move the government to take
\nsteps and revive its past attractiveness?<\/p>\n
Brief history of Way Kambas<\/p>\n
- 1924: Way Kambas and nearby area is declared a forest reserve.<\/p>\n
- 1936: President of Lampung area Mr. Rookmaker proposes the area
\nbe made a sanctuary for animals. The proposal becomes effective
\nin 1937.<\/p>\n
- 1982: Way Kambas is declared a National Park.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/way-kambas-elephant-training-center-falling-apart-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }