Antara 26 Aug 10;
Bengkulu (ANTARA News) - Bengkulu province`s Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) is to use five trained elephants in its operations against forest intruders, especially in the Bukit Kabah natural tourism park, a spokesman said.
Bengkulu BKSDA head Andi Basrah said here Thursday there were hundreds of recalcitrant intruders in the natural tourism park, and the elephants would be used to evict them.
The trained elephants, he said, would be deployed to tear down the many huts the intruders had erected in forest areas. Forest agency officers had previously burnt down the huts but the intruders rebuilt them as soon as the officers had left.
The eviction operations with the help of elephants, he said, would be carried out for their deterrent effect because the animals were not only able to tear down the huts but also to chase away the intruders.
In the moves against the intruders, the elephants would be guided by mahouts and accompanied by an integrated team in the hope the intruders would really become scared and run away on their own accord. But those caught would be subjected to legal procedures, Basrah said.
He also said tough actions against forest intruders at the natural tourism park were necessary as their purpose was to steal timber whereas the area was fulfilling the important function of catching water and supplying water to tens of rivers that also flowed through neighboring provinces.
The intruders were said to be targeting Kepahiang Indah village which is located inside the park area. The local Plantation and Forestry agency had previously warned that the park`s forest area in between the two districts could become totally depleted by the intruders.
Bengkulu Forestry Agency head Chairil Burhan had earlier said that as many as 25 intruders had been arrested and all of them had been operating inside the tourism park that belonged to Rejang lebong district. Thousands of hectares of forest area had been turned into vegetable plots, coffee and cinnamon plantations, he said.(*)
