How a Herd of Elephants Damaged Company Housing in Riau After Calf Fell Into Septic Tank
A herd of wild elephants went on a rampage and damaged staff quarters belonging to PT Arara Abadi’s Tapung District in Minas sub-district, Siak Regency, Riau Province. The herd of 11 elephants became aggressive after one of their calves fell into a septic tank.
Siak Police Chief Senior Commissioner Sepuh Ade Irsyam Siregar explained that the incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday (21 February). Several witnesses initially heard the sound of elephants approaching from the direction of a tributary of the Perapakan River behind the PT Arara Abadi staff quarters.
“Initially, on Saturday (21 February) at around 10pm local time, from the direction of a tributary of the Perapakan River behind the PT Arara Abadi staff quarters, sounds were heard and 11 wild Sumatran elephants were seen entering and passing through the rear yard of the quarters. However, they were successfully driven back into the conservation forest by PT Arara Abadi’s security team,” Sepuh said in a statement on Monday (23 February 2026).
On Sunday (22 February) at around 5am, the herd returned to the rear yard of the staff quarters. One of the elephants stepped on a concrete septic tank cover, causing it to collapse.
“It is suspected that the septic tank opening caused a one-week-old calf to fall into the septic tank and become unable to get out,” he explained.
Elephants Go on Rampage
The incident caused the herd to go on a rampage. They damaged the staff quarters building and motorcycles at the location.
“This caused the herd to then go on a rampage, resulting in damage to the staff quarters and motorcycles,” he added.
Later that same day, at around 9.30am, the herd finally left the area and headed into the conservation forest. PT Arara Abadi’s security team then inspected the site.
“Upon inspection, damage to the staff quarters was found and one elephant calf was discovered trapped inside the septic tank, still alive,” he said.
Calf Evacuated
At 11.30am, a team from the Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) arrived at the location and carried out an evacuation. The calf was lifted to the surface using ropes.
“After being successfully removed, the calf was doused with water to clean it of mud and was then guided towards the conservation forest where the rest of the herd was still located,” he said.
Following the incident, police took mitigation measures to anticipate the possibility of wild elephants returning. The Siak Police Chief also urged the company’s management to create an early warning system to minimise conflicts with protected wildlife such as Sumatran elephants, and to refrain from taking provocative or counterproductive actions against the conservation of Sumatran elephants.