Oyos Saroso H.N.,
Bandarlampung
Two Sumatran elephants were found dead Monday with their tusks removed in a rice field in Tanggamus regency, Lampung province.
The rotting bodies of the two elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus) were burned by residents of Talang Usang hamlet in Ulu Semong village, Ulubelu district.
Coordinator of the Wildlife Conservation Unit in Lampung, Dwi Nugroho Adiasto, said the elephants might have been dead for a week being discovered.
Environmental activist Andreas Andoyo said it was not known whether the elephants were killed by poachers for their tusks or by residents to protect their land.
He did say residents were not upset by the deaths of the elephants, believed to come from a group of six elephants that have been damaging villagers' land.
"A group of elephants has regularly attacked people's houses and plantations. Four residents of Ulu Semong village and two of Pulau Panggung district were killed by ... the group," Andreas said.
A staff member at Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, Subakir, said the two elephants were found dead about 14 kilometers from the park's border.
"We don't know the cause of their deaths," he said.
He said the four remaining elephants from the group were believed to still be somewhere near Ulu Semong village.
In the middle of January 2006, a female elephant was found dead in Sungai Dua hamlet, Pulau Panggung district.
Director of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment in Lampung, Mukri Friatna, blamed the elephants' deaths on unchecked poaching in Lampung.
"Despite the ongoing conflict between residents and a group of wild elephants, we can't just accuse residents of killing the elephants.
"I suspect the elephants were killed by a poaching syndicate since the syndicate's big boss, who goes after tusks, has not yet been captured.
"All of the dead elephants being found are missing their tusks. I'm sure those responsible for killing the elephants had received order for tusks," Mukri said.
He said elephant tusks were sold by poachers for about Rp 5 million a kilogram.
According to data from the national park, from 1993 to 2003 more than 200 elephants were killed and more than 3 tons of tusks from the forest traded.
However, there have been fewer dead elephants found between 2003 and 2007, either signaling a decline in poaching activities or a severely reduced elephant population.
TJP, July 18 2007
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