WILD ELEPHANTS TRAMPLE HUTS IN VILLAGES

Jakarta Forum - Tapaktuan, S Aceh, Jan 31. A herd of three wild Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus) damaged tens of peasant huts at Simpang village, Bakongan sub-district, South Aceh District.

Besides trampling on dozens of the huts, the endangered giant animals that entered the villages in the past couple of weeks also damaged crops such as bananas, palms and areca nuts.

Simpang village head Hamdan said that the loss caused by the elephants was estimated at tens of millions.

"Apart from the wooden huts, the big animals also destroyed four hectares public palm plantations," Hamdan said.

The villagers are afraid to go outdoors at night, and only a few brave men tried to drive the elephants away, he said.

Efforts by the traditional and normal way of chasing them away like using firework had not been very successful, and even caused the big animals angrier.

Meanwhile, East Trumon village head H Lahmuddin said that the villagers in Naca, Jambo Dalem, Kapa Sesak and several other villages began to worry about a similar elephant attack.

"Usually after destroying a plantation in Simpang village, East Bakongan, the elephants moved to the East Trumon district," said Lahmuddin.

Both Simpang villagers and sub-district head expect the relevant agencies and institutions to cope with animal attack.

"It`s been almost ten years of our regions had been disturbed by the wild animals, and nobody seem to care. We hope the government will set up a wild management post so that people can do their normal daily activities," said he added.

Source: ANTARA

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