WWF hopes to shelter elephants

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