Hotli Simanjuntak The Jakarta Post 25 Sep 18;
A 15-month-old elephant named Amirah died four months after she severely injured her leg in a wire trap, despite receiving routine medical treatment.
She died of an internal organ complication caused by severe distress and acute dehydration. She had been receiving treatment at the Elephant Training Center in Saree, Aceh Besar, Aceh.
Amirah, also called Mey, was found injured in Geumpang, Pidie regency on May 3 this year. Amira was left behind by her herd and the Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Agency (Aceh BKSDA) took her to the center and treated her wounded leg, which was almost completely torn off.
Agency head Sapto Aji Prabowo said on Monday that Amirah's wound did not cause her death, which had healed completely. He suspected she died because her liver and kidney was not functioning well.
“Amira’s health had been in poor condition since we brought her here. She suffered from stress and malnutrition,” Sapto said.
Amira had received medical treatment from a joint team comprising Aceh BKSDA and the Syiah Kuala University’s Medical School for four months.
Veterinarian Rosa Rika Wahyuni, who had been taking care of Amirah, said she suffered from stress because she was separated from her mother and herd, which worsened her health. The stress made Amirah vulnerable to diarrhea and other diseases.
“We tried hard, but it was not enough to save the elephant,” said Rosa. (evi)
