BKSDA Installs 59 Thousand Meters Of Shock Wire In Aceh To Prevent Conflict With Humans

BANDA ACEH - The Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) has installed a 59,000 meter long shock wire barrier at a number of points that have a high intensity of conflict between wild elephants and humans.

"The 59,000 meters of power fencing is not only in one area but throughout Aceh, which has a high intensity of elephant-human conflicts," said Aceh BKSDA Head Agus Arianto in Banda Aceh, quoted by Antara, Friday, November 26.

He explained that until now, conflicts between wild elephants and humans continue to occur in several areas of Aceh. Several areas with high conflict intensity such as Pidie District, East Aceh, Bener Meriah, Aceh Jaya and several other areas.

Therefore, the BKSDA continues to tactics to overcome the conflict between the Sumatran elephant and humans by several methods, such as installing a barrier in the form of a power fencing or trench and installing a GPS collar or GPS collar.

"We installed power fencing in several areas, in East Aceh, Pidie, Bener Meriah, Aceh Jaya, so in places with high intensity of animal conflict," he said.

That strategy, he continued, we will apply while continuing to dynamically see the space for wild elephants to enter and leave the forest.

According to Agus, the installation of power fencing has been carried out since 2014, but the Aceh BKSDA has increased its installation over the last two years, which is considered effective as a deterrent to wild elephants from entering settlements or plantations owned by residents.

“If there is a trench, we will also work with the local government and the community. But right now, we prioritize using power fencing to block it," said Agus.

For the GPS necklace, Agus said, his party attaches it to a herd of wild elephants, to monitor every movement of the herd of protected wildlife when approaching residents' settlements or plantations.

"Like in Bener Meriah, there are several groups of wild elephants. We have only installed one group of GPS collars, in the future we will install them again to other groups of wild elephants," said Agus.