Disturbed elephants run amok

BENGKULU, Bengkulu: Disturbed by the activities of illegal logging and squatters in their zone, elephants reared by the Seblat elephant training center in Bengkulu province ran amok in Pondok Suguh district and damaged a 20 hectare plantation, Antara reported on Tuesday.

Chief of the local natural resources conservation body Suyatno said the damage was caused by people living near the training center as they cultivated land and cut trees in the elephants' habitat.

They grew oil palm trees, banana trees and crops like nuts and corn in the damaged plantations.

The training center oversaw a total of 260 wild elephants in the habitat.

Suyatno said the center would try to herd the elephants back to the habitat after enough funds had been collected.

"But how could we herd the elephants back? We were already facing difficulties in feeding them regularly," he said.