Farmer's Hut Surrounded by Elephant Herd in Lampung, One Killed

A farm labourer was killed in a human-wildlife conflict in West Lampung Regency, Lampung, earlier this week. Police reported that a farmer’s hut was surrounded by a herd of elephants in Suoh District on Wednesday night. The victim, 54-year-old Jumadi, was found dead near the hut in the Pekon Sumber Agung plantation area. He is believed to have died while attempting to escape as the herd of wild elephants approached the shelter. West Lampung Police Criminal Investigation Unit head, First Inspector Rudy Prawira, said the incident began around 11 p.m. local time on Wednesday. Three people inside a rest hut on a plantation owned by Widodo reported they were unable to leave because they were surrounded by a herd of wild elephants in an area bordering the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park. Upon receiving the report, residents and a volunteer task force headed to the location. However, upon arriving at the plantation, they found the rest hut occupied by the three individuals had been destroyed by the elephants. Two of the occupants, Widodo and Sigit, were found alive but traumatised, while Jumadi was missing. A search for the victim was conducted until the early hours of Thursday but was initially unsuccessful. The search resumed on Thursday morning. At around 9 a.m., Jumadi was found dead on a slope or ravine approximately 50 metres from the hut where they had been sheltering. A medical examination by the Sri Mulyo Community Health Centre found the victim had bruising on his lower back, abrasions on his lower lip, and abrasions on his right knee. The family declined an autopsy. Based on witness statements, the victim is believed to have been trying to flee when the wild elephants approached the hut and was allegedly rammed by an elephant, causing him to fall into the ravine. Police have processed the crime scene, evacuated the body, interviewed several witnesses, and are coordinating with the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park authority for further handling. The public has been urged to avoid activities in forest areas that serve as wild elephant crossing routes to prevent similar incidents.