Thousands of elephants lose habitat

Thousands of elephants lose habitat

BENGKULU: More than 2,600 elephants, a protected species in
North Sumatra, are losing their natural habitat due to intensive
logging in rain forests, conservation areas and national parks on
the island.

Kurnia Rauf, chief of the conservation and genetics section at
the forestry ministry, said here on Thursday that Sumatra had 52
habitats for elephants but that they were under threat due to
human activities.

He said that besides elephants, many other protected species
such as tigers, rhinos and birds were threatened by poachers.

According to data at the forestry ministry, the number of
elephants in Sumatra is between 600 and 800, with most located in
Lampung, Riau, Bengkulu and Aceh.

He said his office would coordinate with the agriculture
ministry to regulate the development of plantations on the island
to support the protected species conservation program. --Antara