Elephants find gainful employment

Elephants find gainful employment

PEKANBARU, Riau: Thirty elephants, graduates from the School for Elephants in Sebanga, Duri, have finally found work in logging companies around the province, Governor Soeripto says.

"The employment of elephants in logging companies is aimed at protecting the Sumatran elephants from extinction," he said in a meeting with Minister of Forestry Djamaluddin Soerjohadikoesoemo and local businessmen last week.

The provincial government was improving not only the quality of the human work force in the province but also that of animal resources, he said while kidding.

Wild elephants, a protected species in the province, have been a serious problem in the past, known for disturbing local people and damaging factories.

The administration recently also caught 32 wild elephants in Kota Panjang and has sent them to elephant school for training and discipline, Antara reported. (rms)