WWF hopes to shelter elephants

JAMBI, Jambi: The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Indonesia has called for the limited production forest zone of Tesso Nilo in Riau to be set aside as the country's first elephant sanctuary.

The establishment of the sanctuary is seen as a necessary response to the shrinking habitat of elephants in the country.

Tesso Nilo, which borders the buffer area of Jambi's Bukit Tiga Puluh National Park, has the largest elephant population in Southeast Asia. About 600 to 700 elephants roam the area's remaining pristine forests. And the topography of Tesso Nilo is ideal for elephants, with its gentle slopes and adequate water supplies.

Agus Priambudi, the head of Jambi's Natural Resources Conservation Center, said on Tuesday elephants were being squeezed out of Bukit Tiga Puluh National Park, which is spread across both Jambi and Riau, by illegal logging and large-scale forest conversion into oil palm estates.

In response to frequent elephant attacks on plantations and illegal hunting of the protected species, Jambi's Natural Resources Conservation Center and the Riau administration are backing the WWF recommendation. --Antara