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Suspected poisoning of critically endangered elephant, unborn baby in Indonesia
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Critical loss: Veterinarians examine the carcass of a 25-year-old Sumatran elephant, which was in the 22nd month of pregnancy, on Thursday in Bengkalis, Riau. (AFP/Riau Conservation of Natural Resources)
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Sumatran elephant and her unborn baby were found dead from suspected poisoning in western Indonesia, a conservation official said on Thursday.
The carcass of the heavily pregnant mammal, a critically endangered species, was found next to a palm plantation in Riau province on Sumatra, home to some of the world's rarest animals.
The archipelagic nation faces an ongoing battle against wildlife crime. Several elephant poisoning cases have been reported in recent years, including one in 2019 when a Sumatran elephant was found decapitated, with its tusks ripped off.
A plantation worker discovered on Thursday the elephant cow, which was 22 months pregnant, and immediately reported the discovery to authorities, who collected samples before burying the carcass.
"We estimated the female elephant to be around 25 years old and during the necropsy, we found that it was pregnant and was close to giving birth," said Hartono, the head of the local chapter of the Natural Resource Conservation Agency. He added that offficials were still testing samples to determine the cause of death.
They suspected poisoning because the elephant carcass was found with foam around the mouth.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, Sumatran elephants are on the brink of extinction with only 2,400-2,800 left in the world. The elephant population is also threatened by rampant poaching for their tusks, which are prized in the illegal wildlife trade.
Widespread deforestation has reduced the critically endangered elephants' natural habitat, which has led to increasing conflict with humans.
