Bandarlampung, Ekuatorial – Declining forest areas had increased elephant and human conflict in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, in Lampung, said an activist recently.
Ali Rizqi Arasyi, Park Management Coordinator of WWF Project Lampung, said that habitat loss triggered elephants ravaging villagers’ plantations and houses, especially Sukaraja village of Tanggamus district, Pemerihan and Sumberejo villages of West Pesisir district, and Lumbok village of West Lampung district.
A survey in 2009 recorded 300 to 400 elephants living in the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park. The number is suspected to have been bigger as people saw young elephants in recent sightings.
“These herds of elephants have eaten all villagers’ crops. They were able to ransack one hectare of lands in just one day,” said Arasyi adding that those areas were elephant’s routes. “Elephants have their own routes. So, if they have been to one area, they will keep on passing through that area.”
Bunasir, a villager from Sedayu of Tanggamus district, said that elephants often came to their plantations during cultivation season. “They really fond of coffee, corns, and chocolate that we planted,” said Bunasir.
Though their plantations repeatedly attacked by elephants, Bunasir and other villagers were reluctant to kill them or other animals as retaliation. “Yes, we understood that killing animals is forbidden [by the law],” he said. As a result, he added, villagers formed an elephant patrol group, called Befriending Elephant patrol, to monitor their plantations.
“When they started to come down [to the village], we would patrol in the fields so the crops wouldn’t be eaten by elephants,” he said adding that they would lead them back into the forest.
“We do realize that these elephants are just walking according to their rotation and we know that it is a mistake to plant in the protected areas but what else can we do, we need to make a living,” he said.
Between 1994 and 2004, aerial photography analysis from World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and (Worldlife Conservation Society (WCS) showed that 89,224 hectares or 28 percent out of the total Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park areas have been converted into other areas. Around 55,402 hectares turned into coffee plantations. The number rose up to 61,786 hectares in 2010. New plantations owned by 16,214 families in 17 locations.
Arasyi said that they have built towers to monitor animals entering villagers. Eight towers have been installed in villages’ boundaries. “From those towers, villagers can be prepared if elephants seen coming to their fields or houses,” he said. “We also share instructions on how best to chase away the elephant without hurting them.” Eni Muslihah.
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