Baby Elephant Found Dead in Tesso Nilo, Riau Police Chief Visits the Location

The world of wildlife conservation in Riau Province is once again in mourning. A Sumatran elephant calf was found dead in Tesso Nilo National Park, Pelalawan Regency, Riau Province.

The Riau Police Chief, Inspector General Pol Herry Heryawan, accompanied by the Director of Criminal Investigation of the Riau Police, Commissioner Hasyim Rissahondua, the Director of Special Crimes of the Riau Police, Commissioner Ade Kuncoro Wahyu, and the Head of the Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), Supartono, visited the location to conduct an inspection.

“We are here together to conduct observations and a preliminary crime scene investigation regarding the discovery of the elephant, which is estimated to be less than 5 years old,” said Inspector General Pol Herry Heryawan at the location on Thursday (26/2/2026).

The elephant calf was found by a patrol team from Tesso Nilo National Park at around 12:00 PM local time. The elephant was found in a state of decomposition.

The Police Chief stated that the Riau BKSDA had deployed a forensic veterinarian to determine the cause of death.

“We are waiting for the veterinarian to conduct the necropsy to determine the cause of death,” he added.

The two-star general stated that, based on the crime scene investigation, the elephant calf was found dead with its foot entangled in a rope.

“Based on preliminary findings, the elephant’s foot showed signs of entanglement, and the rope was still intact,” he added.

The Riau Police, continued the Police Chief, are formulating hypotheses regarding the cause of death of the elephant calf.

“We have created several hypotheses regarding the possible causes of death, including whether the elephant died after being caught in a snare, which led to infection, and then died at the scene,” he said.

The Riau Police have deployed a team to investigate the incident further.

At the same opportunity, the Head of the Riau BKSDA, Supartanto, said that the elephant calf was male. The elephant carcass was found 200 meters from the border of the Tesso Nilo area.

“It is suspected that the elephant had been dead for almost a week, based on its physical condition, which was decomposing and infested with maggots. The medical team from Tesso Nilo will conduct a necropsy to determine its age and the cause of death, after which we will be able to provide information on the cause of death,” he concluded.