BKSDA Rescues Elephant Calves Whose Trunks Broken Out Of Traps In Aceh Jaya

JAKARTA - A team from the Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA) managed to save an elephant calf from being caught in a trap which caused its trunk to almost break.

Head of the Aceh BKSDA Agus Arianto in Calang, Sunday said that his party received information from the community on Saturday, November 13, that a calf was seen moving alone (separately from the group) with an injured condition in the trunk and visible snares still attached to the trunk in the area. Alue Meuraksa Village, Teunom District, Aceh Jaya Regency.

The team consisted of BKSDA Aceh personnel, medical personnel, Resort Aceh Jaya and CRU Sampoiniet, BKPH Teunom-KPH I; CRU Aceh; PKSL FKH-USK, as well as the community at that time immediately carried out search efforts in order to save the wild elephant calf.

According to him, the elephant calf was only found on Sunday, November 14 at around 14.00 WIB in the Alue Meuraksa Village area.

"The team managed to find the wild elephant calf and take anesthesia for medical treatment and release the noose still attached to its trunk," said Agus Arianto as quoted by Antara, Sunday, November 14.

He added that based on the observations of the medical team, it was known that a female wild elephant calf aged about 1 year suffered serious injuries due to being caught in a snare in the middle of its trunk, which is thought to have lasted for a long time.

"Based on the consideration of the medical team, the wild elephant calf needs further medical treatment and must be evacuated to PLG Saree, Aceh Besar," he said.

He also expressed his gratitude to all those who have helped save the Sumatran elephant calf.

Agus Arianto appealed to all levels of society to jointly preserve nature, especially the Sumatran elephant wildlife by not destroying the forest which is the habitat of various types of animals, and not capturing, injuring and killing.

Then not storing, possessing, maintaining, transporting, and trading protected animals alive or dead and not installing snares or poisons that can cause the death of protected wild animals which can be subject to criminal sanctions in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.