TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Young elephant found dead in Pelalawan
The Elephant Flying Squad, a tame elephant team herd up by the Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA), the Tesso Nilo National Park Agency and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Indonesia, has lost one of its members
Change Size
T
he Elephant Flying Squad, a tame elephant team herd up by the Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA), the Tesso Nilo National Park Agency and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Indonesia, has lost one of its members.
Nela, an 8-year-old tame elephant, was found dead in a location near a camp being operated by WWF Indonesia in Lubuk Kembang Bunga village, Ukui district, Pelalawan regency, on May 17.
Nela's dead body was first discovered by her caregiver, locally known as a mahout, when he was going to bathe the young elephant. The incident was straightaway reported to the BBKSDA Riau and the Tesso Nilo National Park Agency. A veterinarian was brought to the location to carry out an autopsy and to collect information to track down the cause of Nela's death.
'As soon as I received a report on Nela's death, I visited the location where the young elephant was found and investigated areas near the incident site together with a WWF Indonesia team.
From the process, however, no signs directing to the exact cause of Nela's death could be found,' said BBKSDA Riau head Johny Lagawurin, as quoted in a press statement released by the Riau chapter of WWF Indonesia, on Monday.
After an autopsy, Johny said, the investigative team found neither any physical trauma signs nor wounds on Nela's body. The young elephant's internal organs were also in good condition. Therefore, the joint team decided to carry out a laboratory test to determine the cause of the elephant's death.
'Nela's organ samples have been taken for further analysis at the Bukit Tinggi Veterinary Agency. Results of toxicology tests will be released two weeks after the samples' delivery,' said Johny.
The human-animal conflict mitigation coordinator of the Riau chapter of WWF Indonesia, Syamsuardi, said caregivers or mahout at the Lubuk Kembang Bunga camp said they did not notice any behavioral changes before the young elephant was found dead.
Nela, the first elephant born to the Elephant Flying Squad, was born on Feb. 23, 2006. (ebf)(+++)
