The Prolonged Conflict Between The Sumatran Wild Elephants And The Residents Of Aceh Jaya Needs Quick Handling

Previously, a hut belonging to a farmer overturned as a result of being attacked by a pair of wild elephants at a community plantation outlet in Gleng Village, Sungai Mas District, West Aceh Regency, Friday (11/8/2023). (ANTARA/HO)

The dispute between the Sumatran wild elephant and residents in Aceh Jaya Regency is still unresolved, and action is needed immediately to reduce the level of conflict that has lasted for years.

"The conflicts of wild elephants occur almost every month in Aceh Jaya, and even in one month there can be several disturbances of wild elephants at many points," said Sampoiniet Samsul Rizal, Coordinator of Conservation Response Unit (CRU) when contacted from Banda Aceh, Saturday.

Recently, Rizal said that his party had just carried out patrols and mitigation of conflicts between elephant wildlife that ransacked residents' plantations in Meudang Ghon Village, Indra Jaya District, Aceh Jaya.

In the area, he continued, there were four Sumatran wild elephants including one male elephant and three female elephants, and damaged the community's Palawija plant. This incident is not the first time, but has been repeated for years.

"The target is community plants, palawija, papaya, bananas, coconut nuts, if the head of oil palm is certain," he said.

Indeed, he added, there are three sub-districts in Aceh Jaya that are the cruising areas of the four large animals, including Indra Jaya District, Jaya District, and Sampoiniet District.

The disturbance that occurs due to wild elephants will intensively occur when a herd of elephants is already around the forest area of other uses (APL) adjacent to the plantation area of residents.

"And the most vulnerable conflict is at the point of Indra Jaya District. So almost all villages have problems with these wild elephants," he said.

He said, when CRU officers drove from Indra Jaya to the forest, this elephant actually moved to two other sub-districts, namely Jaya and Sampoiniet, and a few months later it would return to its initial location so that the animal conflict never stopped.

"Currently, the elephant is still in the area (Indra Jaya), so when it is herded, it moves to other villages, neighboring villages, and continues to other villages and then returns (to Indra Jaya)," he said.

According to Rizal, conflicts between wild elephants and residents in the area have occurred for years. Therefore, the community requested that the four elephants be arrested, then moved from the area to reduce the intensity of wildlife conflicts in Aceh Jaya.

"This elephant must be arrested, to be relocated or anything else, because it has been very disturbing to the community," he said.

Moreover, he said, quoted from ANTARA, Saturday, August 19, in this area, barrier development cannot be carried out so that wild elephants do not enter residential plantations.

Unlike other water elephant conflicts in Aceh Jaya, such as Darul Hikmah District, he said, the area allows the barrier to be built for a shock fence (power fencing) so that it can be a little overcome by animal conflicts.

"In the area (Indra Jaya) the contour of the land does not allow for a barrier," he said.