Had Dental Disease, Gajah Inspired At Semarang Zoo Dead

Illustration of an elephant. (Unsplah-Deanna Desha)

JATENG - A female Sumatran elephant at Semarang Zoo was reported dead. The elephant before dying had no appetite, thus affecting its health condition.

Head of the Central Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) Darmanto explained that the elephant named Sekar was known to have died on Friday, February 17 at the age of 67.

On January 26, he said, the management of Semarang Zoo reported that Sekar had toothaches which made him have no appetite, then separated from a male elephant named Guntur.

According to him, Sekar's condition had improved on February 10, but declined again so that medical action was carried out in the form of drug administration.

Unfortunately, his condition has not improved. In fact, Sekar didn't want to eat and drink until he finally died.

"We propose that the handling be carried out plus three Semarang Zoo doctors. One doctor from Yogyakarta. Everything has been handled properly and efforts are made so that the elephant is healthy again," he said in Semarang, Central Java, Monday, February 20, as reported by Antara.

Darmanto said elephants that do not want to eat can interfere with metabolism, especially since the elephant's age is quite old. In the wild, Sumatran elephants live up to the age of 70 years on average.

"The elephant's mouth is 67 years old. 37 years ago, Sekar has occupied the Semarang Zoo Conservation Institute. We are saddened by this death," said Darmanto.

To examine the cause of death in detail, the Central Java BKSDA has sent Sekar samples to the Laboratory of the Veterinary Center, Wates, Yogyakarta, in the form of the heart, lungs, liver, intestines, runoff, kidneys, and blood.

Darmanto emphasized that he routinely conducts coaching at nine conservation institutions in Central Java so that it is certain that no elephants are exploited or climbed by visitors.

Meanwhile, Semarang Zoo Director Choirul Awaludin said that currently there is only one elephant that is a collection of conservation institutions after Sekar's death.

"We have two elephants, Guntur and Sekar. Their age difference is quite far. Guntur is 48 years old, while Sekar is 67 years old. This Sekar has been a collection since the animal bond was still in Tinjomoyo," he said.

Awaludin ensured that there was no exploitation of animals in the conservation agency, for example, making elephants a passenger animal for visitors. There is an animal show but done with a "reward" feed.

"There are already plans for animal procurement. But the cost is big. We will try to communicate with other conservation institutions," he said.