Forestry, Transmigration at loggerheads over elephants

Forestry, Transmigration at loggerheads over elephants

PUNCAK, West Java (JP): The Ministry of Forestry and the
Ministry of Transmigration are at loggerheads over what to do
with elephants since the beasts, which are a protected species,
repeatedly attack villages in Sumatra.

The elephant problem was discussed during a meeting between
Minister of Forestry Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo and Minister of
Transmigration Siswono Yudohusodo here yesterday.

The two ministers agreed that something must be done, and
soon. But they differed on what course of action to take.

"We might have to take drastic measures soon," Siswono
announced.

He was careful to avoid using the word "selective killing,"
the suggestion of which earlier this month prompted widespread
condemnation from environmental organizations.

Djamaludin also declined to specify what action will be taken
to stop the marauding elephants from causing further damage,
particularly to new settlement areas administered by Siswono.

"The interest of the Indonesian government is to protect the
elephants as a rare species, but it does not mean that we have to
ensure the survival of each and every elephant in Indonesia,"
Djamaludin said.

He also recognized that in the latest attack, the wild
elephants destroyed a number of villages in Liwa, Lampung, which
have barely recuperated from a violent earthquake early this
year.

Djamaludin said his office plans to capture at least 50
elephants after first drugging the animals. The elephants will be
sent to special schools designed to tame and train them so that
they can become "productive forces", he added.

"We will form a special team with the transmigration ministry,
environmental agencies, home affairs ministry and also the
Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI)," he said.

The minister plans to unload some of the elephant problem on
the 10 largest timber estate companies in Sumatra, asking them to
help fund the operation which is estimated to cost Rp 350 million
(US$150,000).

Pessimistic

Siswono said he was pessimistic that the scheme will be
effective in reducing further elephant attacks on resettlement
areas.

He said that the elephant population increases by 1,000 each
year, and that here are now already some 4,000 elephants across
Sumatra.

"As it stands, settlers and agribusiness companies are
suffering from the repeated elephant raids," Siswono said.

The "drastic measures" he spoke of, however, must be conducted
after "scientific research" determines how many of the elephants
can co-exist with Indonesia's development needs, Siswono said.

"Australia selectively kills their kangaroos and no developed
countries make any fuss," he said. "But when we want to be firm,
the rich nations always fret."

Djamaludin's office last week offered the trained elephants to
forestry and plantation companies at Rp 7.5 million ($3,600)
each, complete with a trainer.

A number of elephant training schools in Sumatra are on the
verge of closing because they are severely underfunded while many
of the elephants they trained in the past failed to attract
buyers. (hdj)