Officials 'complaint' in ivory trade: Activists

Officials 'complaint' in ivory trade: Activists

Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung

The trade in elephant tusks has been thriving, as can be seen
from unchecked poaching and trade over the past two years in the
South Bukit Barisan (TNBBS) and Way Kambas (TNWK) national parks
due to park authorities turning a blind eye to the illegal
practice, say environmental activists.

The TNBBS, spanning 360,000 hectares from Tanggamus and West
Lampung regencies to Bengkulu province, is said to be a haven for
elephant poachers, as is the TNWK, comprising 180,000 hectares in
East Lampung province.

The two are home to an abundant variety of rare flora and
fauna, and the lax protection of species and monitoring of the
parks by authorities have made the parks a haven for poachers,
say activists of environmental non-governmental organizations
(NGOs). They have also cautioned that dishonest park officials
have even tolerated poachers' activities.

Surveys by the Wildlife Crime Unit (WCU), founded by
environmental NGOs and journalists' organizations, show that in
addition to poachers who live around the parks, a syndicate
involved in elephant tusk trade is present at the Elephant
Training Center in Way Kambas.

Strangely, most local residents are aware of the illegal
practice, but have done nothing about it.

"If you happened to visit the elephant center in Way Kambas,
an employee would most likely offer you an ivory pipe, even an
entire, intact tusk," said an activist. "This corresponds with
the number of ivory craftsmen who have admitted that they get
their supply from poachers and insiders (at Way Kambas)."

A manager of Way Kambas National Park, Mega Haryanto,
disagreed the park was involved, even to the point of claiming
that poaching no longer occurred there.

His claim contradicts the finding of a number of park wells
full of elephant carcasses only a couple of years ago. The find
seemed to indicate that the park area was a killing field for
poachers, allegedly involving park employees.

When asked as to the significance of the find, Mega said: "The
wells were previously owned by residents. There were many houses
here before. The wells have been abandoned since we relocated the
residents."

The executive director of the Indonesian Forum for the
Environment (Walhi) in Lampung, Mukri Friatna, said it was to be
expected that underpaid park employees were involved in the
illegal ivory trade. "Their monthly salaries range from Rp
350,000 (US$36.80) to Rp 450,000 and a few months ago, their
salaries were not paid on time," he said.

That the poaching and ivory trade is thriving is evident from
Lampung WCU data recording the extensive use of ivory pipes by
locals, even state officials and law enforcers. At the Lampung
legislature alone, at least two councillors smoke large ivory
pipes.

Apparently, an ivory pipe is a symbol of prestige and
according to smokers, boosts self-esteem.

Siswoyo, 73, a former syndicate member who hails from Kemiling
subdistrict, Bandarlampung, was arrested in possession of 112
ivory pipes, a set of pipe-making tools and a stuffed anteater
and turtle. He confessed he had been in the business since the
1950s, and could not recall the number of tusks he had used nor
the number of elephants killed to provide the raw materials for
his handicraft business.

It is difficult to imagine the number of elephants that have
been killed to support the demands of Lampung ivory craftsmen and
their clients. In addition, considering that elephants have only
a pair of tusks each, the increase in elephant poaching is,
sadly, not surprising.

The rapidly dwindling elephant population is even more
disconcerting, as their numbers are falling from day to day.
According to Way Kambas records, only between 250 to 300
elephants are left in the 180,000-hectare park, of which 72 live
at the training center.

Way Kambas rangers found four elephant carcasses in August
2003 within close proximity to each other in the Way Kanan area
of the park. They all belonged to bulls, or male elephants, and
their tusks had been completely extracted.

A month later, Biha Police in West Lampung and South Bukit
Barisan rangers arrested First Sgt. JP (his full name was not
released) for poaching in Talang Bambang forest along the south
coast of West Lampung. He confessed to shooting an elephant and
taking its tusks.

In mid-January this year, four elephants were found killed in
the TNBBS near its Way Canguk research station. Their tusks were
missing. Fortunately, park authorities and Lampung Rhino
Protection Unit personnel moved quickly and arrested five
poachers in February.

Mega said on Thursday that Way Kambas rangers had just found
the eight more elephant remains in the Kali Biru and Kali Jero
areas of the park.

As of Thursday, rangers were evacuating the remains of the
elephants, aged between 20 to 40 years, all missing their tusks.

They were likely shot by live bullets -- not tranquilizer
darts, which is the usual method -- as they had gunshot wounds in
their legs and heads. The caliber of the weapons used is not
known.

"The area the national park covers is very wide, so we can't
oversee every corner of it," said a park authority.

According to the Convention on Illegal Trade in Endangered
Species (CITES), the Asian elephant population is more at risk of
extinction than the African, particularly those in Southeast
Asia.

Indonesia has been a signatory to CITES since 1978.