Elephant victims' houses rebuilt

Elephant victims' houses rebuilt

BANDAR LAMPUNG, Lampung: Dozens of houses in the Mesuji subdistrict, destroyed by wild elephants over the last couple of months, have been rebuilt, the Antara news agency reported.

Herds of elephants, each group consisting of as many as 39 animals, trampled and practically flattened some 80 houses belonging to transmigrants who tried to drive them off by burning torches and beating wooden drums.

Although no casualties have been reported so far, at least 60 hectares of corn, bean, rice and cassava crops were ruined.

A.S.M. Panjaitan from the local forestry office said there are about 1,000 wild elephants in nature reserves in the area and that they kill 12 to 17 people each year because they are pushed out from their natural habitats by human settlers. (pwn)