The immediate cause of conflict is elephants entering fields and plantations to feed on attractive crops. Settlements with often illegal private oil palm plantations are spreading inside and along the boundaries of the proposed park. Elephants feed on the palms and in the fields. Conflict erupts, creating problems for people and elephants. WWF works with many local and regional stakeholders to prevent illegal conversion of forest and planting of crops attractive to elephants.
Human-elephant conflict mitigation in the Tesso Nilo forest needs close collaboration by many stakeholders. The Flying Squads are sponsored by WWF and several of the area’s plantation companies. The Flying Squad elephants are former wild elephants from Riau that were captured in conflict situations by Government over the past twenty years. All Flying Squad operations are done in close collaboration with the villagers of the respective areas of operations.

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