Indonesia: East Aceh police investigates case of dead elephant

Antara 14 Jul 18;

Idi Rayeuk, Aceh (ANTARA News) - An estimated 15-year-old wild elephant was found dead in an inland forest area in Banda Alam Sub-district, East Aceh District, Aceh Province, on Thursday (July 12).

"The dead male elephant still has a pair of ivory tusks, and its carcass has also not rotted," Banda Alam Sector Police Zainir stated here on Friday.

The elephant is believed to have died the day before it was found. The cause of death of the protected animal is yet to be known, and no signs of violence were apparent on the body of the elephant, he revealed.

He added that the case of the dead Sumatran elephant had been reported to the Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA) of Aceh. The Animal Health Medical Team is also reported to be traveling from Banda Aceh to East Aceh to handle this case.

"We are still waiting for the BKSDA of the Aceh team to conduct a necropsy, so that the results of laboratory tests will be able to ascertain the cause of the elephant`s death," he explained.

The police will continue to investigate the death of the Sumatran elephant in East Aceh.

"If the investigation indicated the cause of death to be deliberate, then in this case, we will process it in accordance with the provisions," he revealed.

Reported by Mukhlis
(T.KR-TQA/INE)
(T.SYS/B/KR-BSR/C/A014)
Editor: Heru Purwanto