By: Syamsidar
Five Sumatran elephants found dead in Pauh Ranap Village, Peranap Sub District, Indragiri Hulu District. To follow up report from local people, a team comprises of Indragiri Hulu Police, the Natural Resources Conservation agency, and WWF were deployed to the location to collect related data. An autopsy of those five carcasses was undertaken by team of paramedics from the Elephant Training Centre led by a professional veterinary, drh. Wisnu Wardana on 27 November 2010.
The carcasses were found inside the concession of Citra Sumber Sejahtera (APRIL group) in two different locations. In the first location, oneyoung female elephant was found meanwhile four other carcasses were found about one kilometer away. One of the elephants was young male elephant with right-side tusk was cut with saw. From the physical conditions, it is assumed that the five elephants were dead because of poisioning. Head of region I of the Natural Resources Conservation agency of Riau, Edi Susanto said,”Early investigation reveals that the elephants were poisoned.”
The autopsy team took samples of the elephant body parts. They were sent to authorized laboratories in Bukit Tinggi and Bogor for an intensive research. The laboratorium result will provide scientific proof to complete the elephant-death report. Furthermore, the result is also expected to become the basis for further investigation.
Those elephants are parts of population of Serangge elephant pouch. According to recent study conducted by WWF, the Natural Resources Conservation Agency and Forestry Service of Riau in 2009, there are approximately 45-50 elephants live in this pouch. The Serangge elephant pouch is considered as potential habitat for conservation of Sumatran elephant as it ranks the second highest population after Tesso Nilo elephant pouch. However the rampantforest clearing has made the elephant habitat fragmented. Moreover, encroachment around the area for oil palm plantation has worsen human-elephant conflict.

PT. Citra Sumber Sejahtera is one of the 30 concession holders whose annual working plan were granted by the Ministry of Forestry last year. It means that they have license to clear cut. Other concessions are now also doing clear cutting in the area around Bukit Tigapuluh forest block such as Artelindo Wiratama. The area actually function as wildlife corridor. Therefore intensive human being activities around the area has increased human-elephant conflict. Similar human-elephant conflict also occurred in this area early this year. The local people reported that the conflict had caused economic loss due to damaged oil palm trees.
WWF data shows, no single human-elephant conflict cases have been brought to court despite of a huge number of conflicts. The court case usually stops at early stage for instancethe death of four elephants around Tesso Nilo National Park which in the mid 2009 which occurred in the concession area of PT. Rimba Pernap Indah, around Bukit Tigapuluh National Park. Laboratory result from Bukit Tinggi and Bogor Veteriner office found organo phospat on the samples. However the police inverstigation still showed no progress.
WWF is very concern about this condition and the recent death of elephants around Bukit Tigapuluh block. Law enforcement is urgently needed to ensure that similar case will not happen more in the future. If there is no rigorous r law enforcement (including from BBKSDA) to follow up and bring this case to the court, the fate of Sumatran elephant in Riau will be seriously in danger. Now there are only about 300-350 elephants live in nine remaining elephant pouches in the whole Riau Province.