Electric Fences and Snares Threaten Sumatran Elephants in Bukit Tigapuluh

Dozens of kilometres of electric fencing and steel snares are threatening key wildlife, particularly Sumatran elephants, roaming the Bukit Tigapuluh landscape in Tebo Regency, Jambi. The head of the Jambi Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), Himawan Sasongko, confirmed the potential threat on Tuesday. He stated that BKSDA patrols had discovered nearly 100 kilometres of high-voltage electric fences installed in disconnected segments by certain parties, such as encroachers, within the Bukit Tigapuluh landscape. Himawan said the electric fences pose a real threat to the survival of 120 Sumatran elephants, including around 15 calves, whose core habitat is in Bukit Tigapuluh National Park. He clarified that the fences were not found inside the national park itself, but within the wider Bukit Tigapuluh landscape, which also serves as a living space and roaming area for the Sumatran elephants. Unlike the current from typical high-voltage power lines, Himawan explained that an animal shocked by these fences would be pulled in rather than thrown back. In addition to the threat of electric fences, the BKSDA Jambi team also discovered numerous snares and traps set within the Bukit Tigapuluh landscape area near the border of Jambi and Riau provinces. As evidence, Himawan noted that a 15-month-old elephant calf had been injured after its leg was caught in a steel cable. ‘Alhamdulillah, after receiving treatment from our team, the calf’s injury has improved. This finding clearly represents a real threat to the safety of Sumatran elephants in Jambi,’ Himawan said. He stressed that, for any reason, setting snares in conservation areas is unjustifiable, including the installation of electric fences.