Indonesia: Riau sees human-elephant conflicts double in 2019

The Jakarta Post 8 Jul 19;

The number of conflicts between residents and Sumatran elephants doubled in Riau during the first half of this year compared to the same period last year, data from the Riau Resource Conservation Center (BBKSDA) shows.

"Data recorded between January and June this year shows that there has been a sharp increase compared to the same period last year," BBKSDA Riau chief Suharyono said in Pekanbaru city, Riau, on Saturday, as quoted by Antara.

The center recorded 30 conflicts between wild elephants and residents in various parts of the province between January and June this year, a spike from the 16 cases recorded over the same period last year.

The number started high in January and February with four and five cases respectively, before it declined to one case in March. However, the figure jumped to four cases in April and six in May.

June marked the highest number of such conflicts with 10 cases; four conflicts in Kampar regency and Pekanbaru respectively and two in Bengkalis regency.

The BBKSDA is currently trying to resolve a conflict between 11 elephants and residents in Karya Indah village in Tapung subdistrict of Kampar. The elephants have been entering the residents' plantations from their habitat in the Tesso Nilo landscape forest.

The center has assigned two trained elephants to drive the herd of wild elephants to their habitat. (ars)

11 wild elephants roam around villages in Riau
Antara 6 Jul 19;

Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA) - Eleven Sumatran elephants (elephas maximus sumatranus) have roamed around the land of farmers and houses in Karya Indah Village, Tapung Sub-district of Kampar District in Riau, the Natural Conservation Agency of Riau said. The Natural Conservation Agency has deployed two trained elephants since Friday, July 5, to drive out the wild elephants from the village, a spokesperson Dian Indriati said here Saturday.

"We deployed two trained elephants from Riau's Elephants Training Center in Minas," she said.

With the help of locals and the Indonesian Military’s (TNI) village supervisory non-commissioned officers (Babinsa), the agency guards some cross paths to prevent the wild elephants from returning to the housing area.

"The team are still at the locations to guard the area," she continued.

Some groups of wild elephants have for the past three months been trespassing the land of villagers and approached the housing areas. Since early last month, six wild elephants have trespassed the land in Peranap and Kelayang Sub-districts in Indragiri Hulu District.

The operation to drive out the wild elephants from farmers' land and return them to their habitat in Tesso Nilo forest is still on.

The conflicts between wild elephants and humans have increased in 2019, Dian admitted.

However, efforts to drive them out from villages and farmers' land have run into several problems.

Two trained elephants fell ill from fatigue after a 10-day operation in Riau Province and had to be returned to the Tesso Nilo National Park for their recovery.

In some locations, villagers would not allow the wild elephants to pass through their land on their way back to the Tesso Nilo forest, after being driven out.

Reporter: FB Anggoro, Sri Haryati
Editor: Rahmad Nasution