82 elephants in Lampung face death

82 elephants in Lampung face death

BANDARLAMLPUNG, Lampung: Dozens of elephants at the Elephant
Training Center in the Way Kambas Nature Reserve, East Lampung,
are in danger because their trainers are unable to provide them
with sufficient food supplies.

One of the trainers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said
he had to shepherd a herd of elephants to graze some 14
kilometers outside the reserve.

"That is not even enough. They may die for lack of food. The
82 elephants usually consume up to two truckloads of stems of
coconut leaves," he said.

Several years ago, a number of elephants at the center died
because of insufficient food, and conservationists appealed to
the training center to take necessary measures to save the
animals.

Making the situation worse, some of the elephant trainers have
not received their full salaries and are threatening to quit
unless they are paid.

The head of the Way Kambas Nature Reserve, Bintoro, said they
did not have the money to pay the trainers or buy food for the
elephants. --JP