Elephants strike again in Riau

PEKANBARU, Riau: Around 40 elephants have rampaged through 14 hectares of rubber plantation in Tanjung Beludu village, Pasir Penyu district, in Riau, destroying three-year-old rubber trees.

Since the animals belong to a species which has to be preserved, residents of the village can only try to chase them away with noise.

Antara news agency reported that the frequency of elephant attacks is on the rise in Riau lately. Prior to the latest rampage, the beasts devastated another rubber plantation in Baserah district, Indragiri Hulu.

One villager died in a similar elephant onslaught last month.

Over the past four years, in Riau alone, a total of 11,803 hectares of plantation areas have been damaged by the animals, causing losses of Rp 14 billion (about US$7 million).

The government plans to train 32 elephants every year to help reduce the number of attacks. (yns)