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n 11-month-old elephant that was found injured and malnourished in Gampong Reuhat, East Aceh in Aceh province has been taken into the care of the Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA).

The baby elephant was found by locals not far from the carcass of another elephant.

“We suspect that the baby elephant was abandoned after being separated from its herd,” BKSDA head Sapto Aji Prabowo said.

The baby elephant looked underweight and distressed, most likely because of being separated from its parents. An examination of the elephant confirmed its state of malnutrition.

The animal will be treated at the Elephant Conservation Center in Saree, Aceh Besar, until it has been restored to health and can be returned to its habitat.

“Currently, the major step that we need to take is to provide nutrition so that the young elephant can recover from its nutritional deficiencies,” BKSDA veterinarian Rosa Rika said.

The elephant is believed to be suffering from stress, which prevented it from consuming food, leading to the malnutrition.

“There is a possibility that the baby elephant is distressed after being separated from its herd or parents,” Rosa said.

Physically, the elephant is seen to be extremely thin and suffering from several open wounds all over its body. “The ideal weight for an 11-month-old elephant is 500 to 600 kilograms. However, this elephant only weighs in at 230 kg,” Rosa said.

The vets are still uncertain as to how long they will need to take care of the elephant for it to fully recover. According to Rosa, elephants are sensitive animals and have a greater level of intelligence than other animals.

“So it’s difficult to determine for how long the elephant needs to receive medical treatment. What’s certain is that we need to care for it as we would a human baby in such a sensitive condition and prone to illness,” Rosa said.

Aceh has one of Indonesia’s largest elephant populations. However, the existence of wild elephants in Aceh is under threat from rampant illegal logging and forest clearing to make way for oil palm plantations.

East Aceh has the highest number of elephants. However, the area is prone to conflicts between humans and wild animals, including elephants, because vast swathes of palm oil plantations are located in the elephants’ habitats.

Meanwhile, not far from the location of the abandoned baby elephant, the BKSDA also found a dead elephant that is believed to have been shot.

BKSDA officials found it in a palm oil plantation owned by PT Dwi Kencana Semesta. The male elephant is thought to have died seven days prior to its discovery, when it was found to have sustained a head wound and was minus its tusks.

“During an autopsy, five gunshot wounds were discovered in the neck and back. However, the BKSDA team did not find the bullets, so it is not known what type of weapon was used to shoot the protected species,” Sapto Aji said, adding that his agency had reported the killing to the police for further investigation.