Wild elephants kill farmer in Lampung

BANDARLAMPUNG, Lampung: A herd of wild elephants killed a villager who had allegedly encroached on protected park land in Lampung province to grow his crops, according to a park official.

Dassa, the villager, was killed not far from his home in the park after seven angry elephants attacked a group of villagers in Tenggamus regency last Saturday, Tamen Sitorus, the chief official of the South Bukit Barisan National Park, said on Tuesday.

"The scene was still within the protected park area where people are not allowed to conduct any activity," he said.

Dassa and other local farmers from Pekon Layang Agung, Datar Lebau, on Panggung island, had encroached on the land, where they allegedly planted a field of crops.

Following the incident the villagers drove the animals back into the forest, he said.

Sitorus urged people living around the park not to conduct any activity that could damage the park's flora and fauna. --Antara