Aceh Jaya Residents Forced to Patrol to Prevent Wild Elephants from Approaching Settlements

BANDA ACEH - Residents of Blang Monlung Village, Sampoiniet District, Aceh Jaya Regency have had to carry out night patrols for two weeks to prevent wild elephants from entering settlements.

"We have been patrolling together for 12 days to drive away elephants that will enter our settlements and plantations," said a local resident, Hasrizal, in Aceh Jaya, Tuesday, January 6, reported by ANTARA.

According to him, the elephants began to approach the settlement.

"We are worried that elephants will enter our settlements," he said.

Hasrizal said that as a result of the elephants approaching, a number of residents' plants, both oil palm and bananas, were damaged.

"Until now we have only relied on makeshift tools by driving away together, including with mercon which we bought ourselves," he said.

He hopes that both the Forest Police (Polhut) and the BKSDA can help so that the elephant can get out of his area, because so far it has also started to enter other villages.

"We really hope that the relevant parties will immediately drive away the elephant because it has been very disturbing for residents," said Hasrizal.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Aceh Jaya BKSDA, Supriadi, said that his party had received reports from residents regarding concerns about elephants entering the settlement.

"For information, we have received information about the elephant entering the residents' garden in Blang Monlung, and today we have distributed mercon to residents," he said.

He said that previously the mercon stock from them had run out due to flooding in Aceh, so it could not be distributed, and now it is available again.

"For the initial stage, we will distribute mercon first if the elephant does not come out, then we will send a team down, because at this time a number of our teams are also outside the area in the flood area," said Supriadi.