Jakarta Post 16 Jul 10;
BANDA ACEH: Herds of wild elephants are on a rampage in Aceh's Pidie regency, devouring crops and destroying houses, residents said Thursday.
"At least one house and four hectares of food crops were destroyed in the past three days," Muhammad Sabi Basyah, a resident, told Antara news agency.
The wooden house that the elephants destroyed belonged to Syawali Hanafiahin in Bangkeh hamlet, forcing him to stay with a relative at a neighboring village, Sabi Basyah said.
This recent incident has scared off farmers, with many of them choosing to stay away from their farms.
They called on the Natural Resources Conservation Agency to build a conservation and rescue center to control the elephants in the area. - JP
