Elephant killed at training center

Elephant killed at training center

BENGKULU, Bengkulu: A male elephant being trained at the
Seblat grooming center in Putri Hijau district, North Bengkulu
regency, was killed by local people in an attempt to steal its
20-kilogram tusks.

An elephant trainer, Mahyudin, said on Friday that the
elephant was killed while it was tied to a tree and left grazing
near the center by its trainer who was reportedly sleeping. He
claimed the would-be poachers fled into a nearby protected forest
after the trainer caught them trying to chop the tusks off.

Mahyudin said the elephant sustained gaping wounds in the head
and body. He added that the giant animal which had been at the
center for five years was skillful enough to handle various jobs,
especially driving away wild elephants which often ravaged local
farmers' crops.

There are now 28 elephants left in the center. Previously two
other elephants died of disease. --Antara

Tourists to be x-rayed in Bali

KUTA, Bali: In a bid to curb rampant drug smuggling into the
Island, the Customs and Excise office in the Ngurah Rai Airport,
Bali plans to use special devices to detect drugs in plastic
pouches which are often swallowed by incoming and outgoing
tourists.

"Swallowing drugs into the stomach has become a common
practice adopted by international tourists entering the Ngurah
Rai airport, therefore we need x-rays." Setio Juwarno, head of
Ngurah Rai Customs and Excise Office, said here on Friday.

He revealed that, so far, his office had fallen short of a
proper system to detect tourists suspected of illegal drug
possession.

"It is far too time-consuming to take suspected tourists to
the hospital to find drugs." He added.

In the past, tourists smuggled cocaine and hashish from Latin
America, South Asia or the Golden Triangle (Thailand, Laos and
Myanmar) into the island by putting them into aqua lungs or
statues or other souvenirs.

Customs officers arrested a couple from Mexico, Navarro and
Clara Elena in April 2001 in possession of 15,22 kilograms of
cocaine hidden inside their surf boards. Navarro was sentenced to
life in jail and Clara 10 years. --Antara

Bombs found at junior high school

AMBON, Maluku: School activities in the public junior high
school in the Ambon subdistrict of Talake were abruptly suspended
on Friday after 16 home-made bombs wrapped in black plastic bags
were found on the premises.

Eyewitnesses said the neat looking bomb packages were
discovered at 5:30 am, just 90 minutes before classes usually
begin. Local residents removed the explosives to a safer place in
Lorong Radio Merpati, while students and teachers who were
already in the area, fled in a panic.

The activities at the school and in the vicinity resumed after
the Ambon police bomb squad from the nearby police station
arrived nearly two full hours after the discovery of the bombs.
--Antara

Thousands of children have goiters

MALANG, East Java: In a 2001 survey conducted by the regional
administration in five districts, it was discovered that 40.33
percent of 9,527 school-age children have goiters.

Subagyo Sutarjo, the head of the local health agency, said on
Thursday the local administration would distribute iodine
capsules and iodized salt in the affected areas to deal with the
problem.

Goiters are caused by an insufficient intake of iodized salt,
and if not treated will affect growth and hearing, as well as
causing respiratory and swallowing difficulties.

In later stages, goiters can trigger an abnormally high pulse
rate and fatigue, as well as causing infertility, irregular
menstruation or miscarriages in women. --Antara