The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 03/04/2009 1:42 PM
Riau province Natural Resource Conservation Agency (BKSDA) plans to send a team to investigate an elephants' attack on villagers that claimed one man's life in the Bengkalis regency, Riau, on Wednesday.
"We will send a team to investigate the incident," BKSDA Riau head Syahimin said in Pekanbaru on Wednesday, as quoted by Antara.
A herd of Sumatran elephants had killed Jalinus, 83, a resident of Balai Makam in Bengkalis on Wednesday morning.
Syahimin said conflicts between elephants and human often occurred in the Balai Makam area. The area is within a home range of wild elephants, but much of the animals' natural habitat has been encroached on for use as oil palm plantations and settlements.
"Conflict indeed often results because these areas are within the home range of elephants," Syahimin said.
Riau BKSDA and administration need to adopt comprehensive measures to deal with the elephant-human conflicts, he said.
Syahimin also urged residents to remain calm and wait for the BKSDA team - and not attempt to kill elephants in retaliation.
The Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatrensis) is the smallest of the Asian elephants. Like the Sumatran tiger, it is endangered. (dre)
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