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View all search resultsTame Sumatran elephant dies in Riau, 13th this year
At least 13 Sumatran elephants have been reported dead in Indonesia since the start of the year, including seven in the wild and five in captivity. The deaths have been attributed to various causes, including poaching, disease, snares and suspected poisoning.
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A mahout inspects the body of Diego, a 17-year-old tame male Sumatran elephant, on Sept. 16 at the Minas Elephant Training Center in Riau. Diego died from a suspected chronic infection of the digestive tract, marking the 13th reported Sumatran elephant death across the country this year. (courtesy of /BKSDA Riau)
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tame Sumatran elephant named Diego has died at the Minas Elephant Training Center in Riau, marking the 13th death of the critically endangered species this year.
Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) official Ujang Holisudin said the 17-year-old male elephant died on Wednesday after receiving medical treatment for nearly a week.
“Diego had been receiving treatment for nearly a week, but his condition continued to deteriorate and he was unable to survive,” Ujang said on Thursday.
Diego began showing signs of illness on Sept. 10, including diarrhea and a loss of appetite, Ujang said. A medical team from BKSDA Riau examined the elephant and initially diagnosed him with a parasitic worm infection.
“Several worms were found in his feces. The team then administered deworming medication, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs,” he said.
After a few days of treatment his appetite subsequently improved and his faeces returned to a normal consistency. Laboratory tests also found no worms in his feces.
But Diego's condition deteriorated again on Tuesday, when his mahout reported that the elephant had stopped eating and was suffering from frequent, watery diarrhea.
