Wildlife conservation
We are wildlife biologists with the Wildlife Conservation Society (formerly the New York Zoological Society) and would like to comment on some of the issues raised in two articles published in the Sept. 10 issue of The Jakarta Post (Saving Sumatra's elephants and If you can't beat them, employ them) concerning the future of Sumatra's elephants.
Our organization has been involved in elephant research and conservation issues for over 20 years. Although much of this research has concentrated on African elephants, the parallels between conservation problems in Africa and Indonesia are great; we believe that much of the experience gained from Africa could be applied to Sumatra.
The elephant population of Sumatra is said to number around 4000. Historically, elephants ranged throughout the island of Sumatra but due to increasing human settlement and loss of forest habitat, elephants presently are restricted to 44 areas in the five provinces of Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, Lampung and Bengkulu; some of these areas are reported to be experiencing problems of elephant "overpopulation." It is the concentration of elephants into smaller areas that results in the misconception of overpopulation. As more and more habitat is lost, elephants are pushed into smaller and smaller forest areas. The density, or number of elephants in a given area, may increase dramatically as habitat area decreases, while the actual population size is plummeting. Additionally, if the estimated 4000 elephants are isolated from one another and unable to mix, it is incorrect to think of one large population. Instead, we should view the problem as one of many small populations, each with its own problems. Statements of elephant overpopulation on the island of Sumatra therefore are oversimplified and misleading.
The issue at hand however, is the plan proposed by Transmigration Minister Siswono Yudohusodo to shoot elephants that are ranging outside designated protected areas and damaging transmigration schemes. The minister's plan includes killing elephants with tusk longer than 30 centimeters. Although culling is a viable option for control of wildlife populations and is used in some African countries, a culling program with these criteria is problematic. This plan would eliminate breeders from the population and increase the risk of extinction, which is clearly not the goal of the program. Ivory poachers in Africa also selected large-tusked animals, with disastrous results. Normally, culling programs target surplus reproduction, or young animals.
Because elephants are highly social, long-lived species the proposed program would destroy the social fabric of elephant society. Research has shown that older elephants have intricate knowledge of their habitat, remembering travel routes and traditional feeding grounds. This information is passed on from generation to generation in the same way that human societies pass on traditions. Killing older elephants may hamper transmission of traditional knowledge to younger, naive elephants. Without this knowledge, younger elephants no longer aware of traditional paths or feeding areas, may rampage even more. In Zimbabwe, entirely family units are taken down; this is believed to be more humane because family groups cannot function properly without their older members.
Minister of Forestry, Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo, voiced concern over the lack of data on Sumatran elephants and stressed the need for detailed monitoring. This is a significant concern. If we are uncertain of population estimates or other population characteristics, it would be unwise to initiate a culling program with no scientific baseline. It would be best to first determine in a rigorous and scientific fashion, the scope of the problem and then develop a sound management strategy.
In all countries of the world, both developed and developing, there are conflicts between natural resource conservation and development. It is the careful balance between the resolution of these two conflicts that should be a major goal of all governments. Obviously, humans cannot live without modifying their environment and developing countries must look towards progress. Not all development however, can be viewed blindly as progress, particularly if it leads to major degradation of the landscape and wholesale elimination of species. Elephants are protected species under Indonesian law; we encourage the government to respect this and work to develop a wise management plan for the stewardship of this valuable and increasingly endangered animal.
MARGARET F. KINNAIRD
and TIMOTHY G. O'BRIEN
Associate Conservation Scientists
Wildlife Conservation Society
Manado, North Sumatra