We deployed two trained elephants from Riau's Elephants Training Center in MinasPekanbaru, 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.
Related news: Trained elephants ill after 10 days of expelling wild elephants
Translator: FB Anggoro, Sri Haryati
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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