BKSDA Aceh Turns Brains To Find Strategies To Overcome Conflict Between Elephants And Humans

PHOTO VIA BETWEEN

JAKARTA - The Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) has implemented several tactics to overcome the conflict between Sumatran elephants and humans that occurred in a number of districts and cities.

"Currently, the conflict management process continues, we continue to make efforts to handle it with various strategies," said Head of the Aceh BKSDA Agus Arianto in Banda Aceh, Friday, November 26.

In an effort to prevent wild elephants from entering residents' settlements and gardens, the Aceh BKSDA has built ditches. The goal is to prevent elephants from entering and to install a GPS collar to monitor the movement of the elephant herd.

"In addition to the accompaniment, which is already automatic, we do it in an effort to overcome it quickly," Agus said as quoted by Antara.

He said that a GPS collar had been installed on a herd of elephants in Bener Meriah.

"In the future, we will install it again into other groups of wild elephants," he said.

According to him, conflicts between wild elephants and humans are still common in Aceh Province, including in Bener Meriah Regency.

On Thursday (25/11), a herd of elephants entered Negeri Antara Village, Pintu Rime District, Bener Meriah Regency.

The Conservation Response Unit (CRU) officer of the Peusangan Bener Meriah watershed estimates that there are more than 20 wild Sumatran elephants roaming the plantation areas of residents in the area.

Apart from Bener Meriah, Agus said conflicts between wild elephants and humans are still happening in the districts of East Aceh, Pidie, Pidie Jaya and Aceh Jaya.