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Disoriented wild elephants in Jambi to be returned to ‘original habitat’
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Trained elephants from the Minas Elephant Training Center in Riau are prepared to escort wild elephants to be transported to their habitat of origin around the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park in Tebo regency, Riau. (JP/Jon Afrizal)
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uthorities in Jambi have been trying to catch three wild elephants that have reportedly been disturbing residents of Batanghari regency for three months, in an effort to return the animals to their habitat of origin in Tebo regency.
The elephants had become disoriented because of land clearing and illegal logging and were feeding on rice plants and oil palm shoots, said Jambi Natural Resource Conservation Agency (BKSDA) head Rahmad Saleh.
A team of 20 conservationists from the BKSDA Jambi and the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) as well as two veterinarians had been dispatched to the location in Sengkati Baru village, Mersam district, over the weekend.
Veterinarian Anhar Lubis of the Leuser Conservation Forum (FKL) said the wild animals would be anesthetized once they were transferred to trucks with the help of three trained elephants from the Elephant Training Center (PLG) Minas in Riau.
"The anesthetic injection uses a combination of sedative and analgesics," Anhar said on Saturday.
He said each of the wild elephants would be escorted by three tamed elephants to get into the truck to be transported to their habitat of origin in the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park (TNBT), some 80 kilometers from their present location.
"Theoretically, that is what is supposed to happen. We estimate we will need three days to return them to their habitat," he said, adding that each of the wild elephants would also need three animal handlers in the process.
