Wild elephants attack plantations in Aceh

Antara 21 May 08;

Tapaktuan, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (ANTARA News) - A herd of 12 wild elephants wreaked havoc on local residents` plantations in Pinto Rimba and Ie Jeurneh villages, Trumon Timur District, recently.

"Tens of hectares of nilam (patchouli), soybean and oil-palm plantations were destroyed. We cannot do anything when the big animals come and destroy our crops," a local community leader, Jamadi Pohan, said here Wednesday.

The herd which included four baby elephants also damaged clean water distribution pipes in Ie Jeurneh village.

"The villagers are now beginning to face clean-water scarcities. We hope the authorities can send a team to tackle the problem which is causing us to suffer great financial losses," he said.

Previously, the protected animals also attacked farmers working in fields near their village at the foot of Mount Leuser.

There were no casualties in the recent incident but local residents are afraid the elephants would also attack their village.

Director of the Institute of Social Development Strategy Studies (Insosdes), T Masrizal, said elephants had begun to attack villages near the forest since January 2008 but no serious efforts were made to overcome the problem.