Elephants destroy hectares of plantations in Riau

The Jakarta Post 28 Nov 09;

PEKANBARU: A group of wild elephants have demolished hectares of plantations of palm oil and rubber and paddy fields in Pekan Tebih village, Kepenuhan Hulu district, Rokan Hulu regency, Riau province in the past three months, an official said Friday.

The district chief Damri Poti revealed that the elephants have destroyed 10 hectares of the plantations, including two hectares of paddy fields.

"No residents dare to attempt to disperse the elephants as they are protected animals," Damri said.

He said the regency's forestry and plantation agency had deployed forest rangers to the village but had found nothing as the elephants had gone.

To prevent the elephants' destruction, Damri said the residents were staying awake at night and making bonfires around the village.

The regency's rangers chief Idris admitted that the rangers were overwhelmed by the elephants as they would come again and again.

"The village located in a thoroughfare for elephants. The only way to tackle the problem is to catch the elephants and place them in a training center,"Idris said.

He said placing the elephants in the center would require a lot of money since sheltering an elephant cost about Rp 25 million (US$2,500). - JP