Bandarlampung, Ekuatorial – Though herd of elephants seen at villagers’ plantations, local activist said on Wednesday (18/3) that they were still relatively under control.
For the past week, villagers of Balik Bukit have spotted elephants passing through their plantations located at buffer zone of Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, in West Lampung.
Ali Rizky Arrasy of WWF Lampung’s Elephant Patrol, said that they have trained local villagers to handle the situation.
“We already trained villagers [on] how to chase away elephants if they come to their plantations,” said Arrasy. “People just simply herding them back to their track.
Sumantri said elephants usually came during the night and some even spotted them sleeping in their plantations.
“We are so afraid that nobody wants patrolling around plantations but after they have gone, our crops were nearly destroyed,” he said. “Government and wildlife activists blame us if these animals entered our plantations. Do they ever think that our lives are also threatened?”
Arrasy said that current plantations, used to be industrial forests, were actually elephant’s track.
“Elephants have sharp memory, they will always pass through routes they have crossed before,” he said. “Those herd saw delicious foods and they will eat it directly regardless of who’s the owner.”
Meanwhile, West Lampung forestry agency’s joint team had already chased away three wild elephants back into the forest.
“They [elephants] have been staying at the plantation located in Pekon Padangcahya, Balik Bukit district for the past one week,” said Parlin, of the officer adding that it took them three hours to lure elephants away by creating loud sound from pipe at 50 – 100 yards radius. Eni Muslihah