Wild bulls a menace in Jember

Wild bulls a menace in Jember

JAKARTA (JP): Residents of Mumbulsari subdistrict and workers at the state-owned PTP XIII cocoa plantation have complained about rampaging wild bulls in their villages.

The beasts come down from Mt. Mayang for water. Residents have been driving the bulls back to their habitat but they continually return for water, the Antara news agency reported yesterday.

Subdistrict head, Chavid Setyadi, said the villagers have never killed the bulls, which have been declared an endangered species, because they may face a penalty. However, if nothing is done they may destroy crops, he said.

Chavid said he has discussed with local officials in charge of conservation how to repulse the animals to their habitat without endangering them.

Sarkan Teniriadi from the local conservation office said there are 20 wild bulls (Bes javanicus) living on Mt. Mayang, and that they are strictly protected, even if they are found outside their natural habitat.

He said his office would try to find a solution to the problem. "We have to be very careful when handling endangered species because they are prone to stress and may even die from it," he said.

He said once six wild bulls were caught when they encroached on residential areas and two of them died shortly afterward, probably of stress. (pwn)