Training Acehnese People to Appropriately Dispatch Elephants
By: Chik Rini

In mid-February, WWF Indonesia provided the first elephant repelling training in Pintu Rime Gayo, Bener Meriah District and Krueng Sabee, Aceh Jaya District. There were about 45 farmers, NGO members, forest rangers and community forum members trained by Samsuardi Sulam and Iwan from Flying Squad WWF Riau.

This is our response to the death of a farmer who was blocking elephants with members of the NGO Bener Meriah Animal Rescue in Bener Meriah district last December. Meanwhile, in 2014, an elephant died in Krueng Sabee, and the conflict between elephants and the community never ended. In fact, there is a solution that WWF can help is to strengthen the community so that they can mitigate elephant and human conflicts independently, safely and successfully.

From the discussion and field practice, it was found that technically, the elephant eviction practice taught to the community has many new things, especially about team formation and eviction procedures. Bang Iwan (Mahout Flying Squad coordinator) taught the participants to make carbite cannons. this is to shift the community's dependence on the government's cannon aid. Technically, the community has become more aware of how they should conduct a proper eviction.

In Krueng Sabee, the community formed the Krueng Sabee Elephant Care Community Forum led by Mr. Mukim Krueng Sabee. Some of those trained are former GAM combatants who are now farmers. One of the trainees is a woman, Kak Darma, who lives on her farm on the edge of the forest and often has to deal with elephants entering her farm. Kak Darma quickly learned how to sound the carbide cannon.

Currently, WWF Indonesia Aceh Office is developing community-based elephant and human conflict mitigation guidelines in Krueng Sabee. While in Bener Meriah WWF is designing an elephant corridor between Bener Meriah and Bireuen.