Villagers want elephants blocked

BANDAR LAMPUNG, Lampung: Some 200 residents from two districts in Central Lampung staged a protest at the Lampung administration office, demanding protection against wild elephants in the area, Antara reported Monday.

Head of Lampung's forestry agency Edi Suryadi pledged to control the elephants by building gutters and installing electrified wires.

"We will deploy trained elephants to block the wild elephants from destroying residents' property," Edi added.

The wild elephants from nearby Way Kambas National Park frequently crushed plants and damaged homes, they said.

Residents of Purbolinggo and Rumbia districts said that since 1986 the elephants had damaged 1,500 hectares of land and caused a range of losses to about 2,200 families. One peasant died while guarding the land against elephants and many have been injured. Environment experts have cited disturbances to their habitat as the cause of the elephants' behavior. (edt)