Elephants Found Dead Due To Floods In Pidie Jaya Aceh

JAKARTA - A Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus) was found dead due to a flood in Pidie Jaya Regency, Aceh.

ANTARA reporters and local residents confirmed the truth of the information that the elephant carcass was in Meunasah Lhok Village, Meureudu District.

The location of the discovery of the animal is in an isolated area due to the overflowing flash flood of the Meureudu River which can only be accessed on foot for about two hours.

The elephant was immersed in a pile of forest wood and mud that was carried away by the flood. Half the elephant's body was buried with its head down.

"In this village there are no elephants, residents have never seen elephants because usually elephants are in the forest. Only now we have seen elephants die due to flooding," said Muhammad Yunus, a resident of Meunasah Village, Lhok, Saturday, November 29.

He said residents could not move the elephant carcass because of the difficult terrain and no adequate equipment.

According to him, the elephant was probably dragged by the flood from the forest in the upstream part of the river.

"We are also surprised that a lot of forest wood was carried here. I have never seen any wood of this size," he said.

Deputy Regent of Pidie Jaya Hasan Basri admitted that he had received information about the discovery of elephant carcasses piled up with forest wood carried by flash floods.

He admitted that he could not confirm whether this flash flood was caused by forest damage in the upstream area.

However, he admitted that many of the wood from the forest was swept away by the flood, causing severe damage to residents' houses, public facilities, schools, and houses of worship in Pidie Jaya.

"Until today, I don't know what the conditions are on the mountain. Whether these wood are due to logging or what, we don't know yet. God willing, after this we will check the condition of the forest," he said.

As of this Saturday, the elephant carcass was still stuck in the material left over by the flood and smelled rotten.

Pewarta : Febrianto Budi Anggoro