Kawanan Gajah Liar Di Lampung Barat: Siang Masuk Hutan, Malam Ke Permukiman Rusak Lahan Warga

The atmosphere when a number of residents and the task force intercepted a herd of wild elephants in West Lampung. (ANTARA/HO)

A number of wild elephants in Suoh and Bandar Negeri Suoh (BNS) sub-districts, West Lampung, returned to settlements and damaged plantation land owned by residents. Head of the Management and Environmental Control Division (PPLH), West Lampung Environmental Service (DLH) Sukimin said, until now his party together with the local community are still monitoring a herd of wild elephants entering the Suka Marga Pekon (Village), Suoh District. "The elephant started entering on Monday, January 15, 2024, on Tuesday night it entered Pemangku (Dusun) Kalibata, Pekon Suka Marga, destroying Mr. Jaimin's rice fields and banana plantations," he said when contacted from the West Coast, Antara, Wednesday, January 17. He said the Suoh Valley Task Force had now carried out the silting and dispelling of the herd of wild elephants. Sukimin estimates that the herd of wild elephants has entered the forest again. But at night they returned to the settlement and damaged residents' houses. "The current position is that the herd of wild elephants is still in Pemangku Kalibata, Pekon Suka Marga," he said. According to him, a herd of wild elephants was already installed with GPS Collar, but not all of them were installed. "What GPS Collar has installed is only one tail and in the near future there will be a re-installation of GPS Collar," he said. Previously, it was reported that the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (BB-TNBBS) together with the Bengkulu Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) as well as partners such as Repong Indonesia, YKWS, PILI, WCS, and YABI, had succeeded in installing GPS Collar on wild elephants in West Lampung, to monitor the position of these protected animals. "Alhamdulillah, the installation of GPS Collar has been completed on the wild elephant," said Acting Head of BB-TNBBS, Ismanto. He said the position tracking device was in the form of a necklace attached to one of the elephants in the group of wild elephants.

"On March 29, 2023, GPS Collar was installed in a group of six elephants named Jambul groups, which are currently in Suka Marga Village, Suoh District, West Lampung Regency," he said.