Elephants Clean Flood Debris, Ministry Of Law Ensure Safe Process And Prioritize Animal Welfare

JAKARTA - Four Sumatran elephants were involved in the process of cleaning up debris from floods in Pidie Jaya Regency, Aceh. The participation of these large animals attracted the attention of residents because their role was to help clean up materials that were difficult to reach by heavy equipment.

Even so, the use of elephants in field operations was not carried out suddenly, but through planned procedures and considering animal welfare.

The Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) ensures that the deployment of the elephant has gone through an in-depth study. The head of the Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Agency (KSDA), Ujang Wisnu Barata, explained that from Padang, West Sumatra, Tuesday, before the tame elephants were brought to the location, the team first conducted a survey of the field situation, level of security, entry access, and operational needs.

"The four trained elephants are transported using trucks directly from the mooring site to the handling target location, this is done for the safety and security of the elephant including avoiding stress before supporting the handling of flood-affected areas," said Ujang, as quoted by ANTARA.

He added that the deployment of these animals is also part of the moral responsibility of the conservation agency in an emergency.

"In the current emergency, we from the Aceh KSDA Center have morals and responsibility to help the community. We can help one of them in efforts to handle and clean up post-disaster materials," he added.

According to his explanation, the survey results became a reference for determining the path of movement of elephants, operating points, rest areas, and arrangements for working time that adjust the physical condition of animals. The preparation of the rest area is also carried out specifically, including ensuring the availability of feed, supplements, and periodic health monitoring by the veterinary team.

The need for drinking water for elephants is a priority. For this reason, a slip-on vehicle with a tank and a water hose is alerted not far from the operating point so that elephants can get water intake whenever needed.

The use of elephants as a supporter of humanitarian operations is not a new concept. Ujang said a similar method was used when handling the 2004 Aceh Tsunami disaster and was also implemented in various Asian countries. This approach is known as for the sake of five, namely the wise use of elephants while still prioritizing animal safety and welfare.

Elephants are considered to have effective maneuverability in certain fields, especially when accompanied by trained mahit and follow safe procedures. However, he reminded that the use of animals for heavy work should not be considered as normal and needs to remain limited.

Ujang also detailed that the support team consisted of eight mahitouts, personnel from the Resort Forestry Police (Polhut), and veterinarians complete with field medical equipment. This operation also received police security so that the activity took place safely and coordinated.

This animal mobilization step is a form of cross-sectoral collaboration to accelerate environmental recovery, especially in areas where heavy machines are difficult to reach. In addition to operational goals, this activity is also a reminder that animal involvement must always be in the corridor of ethics and animal welfare principles.

"This is proof of how the elephant is not an enemy of humans, don't damage its habitat, don't disturb their homes. Because in an emergency situation, when everything is paralyzed, it is Gajah who will protect humans," concluded Ujang.