Sumatran Elephant Found Dead In East Aceh

BKSDA officers together with the police and the community examined the carcass of a Sumatran elephant that died in Julok Rayeuk Selatan Village, Indra Makmur District, East Aceh Regency, Friday (31/1/2025). ANTARA/HO-BKSDA

BANDA ACEH - The Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) stated that an individual Sumatran elephant (elephas maximus sumatrensis) who was previously treated for illness was found dead in the Indra Makmur area, East Aceh Regency.

Head of the Aceh BKSDA Ujang Wisnu Barata in East Aceh, Saturday, said the elephant was found dead in Julok Rayeuk Selatan Village, Indra Makmur District, East Aceh Regency, on Friday (31/1) afternoon.

The elephant carcass has been buried. Before it was buried, the medical team carried out a necropsy or carcass surgery to take several samples of the internal organs for laboratory tests," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Saturday, February 1.

The dead elephant is female, aged around seven to eight years with a weight of about one ton.

Previously, the elephant was found sick in a resident's garden in Seuneubok Bayu Village, Indra Makmu District, East Aceh Regency, on Wednesday (22/1) at around 09.00 WIB.

When found, the mouth and tongue of the protected animal are infected and international. Most likely the digestive organs were damaged or infected, said Ujang Wisnu Barata.

"The results of the temporary diagnosis at that time, the elephant's genitals suffered bleeding allegedly due to eating foods containing poison or the like which had an impact on internal digestive damage," he said.

At that time, the BKSDA medical team gave infusions and antibiotics as well as medicines and vitamins. The team also took blood samples and feces for laboratory tests.

A day later, the medical team examined the development of the elephant's condition and provided additional fluids, medicine and vitamins. From the results of the examination, the elephant's health has not made much progress. It is suspected that the kidneys and digestive metabolism have been disrupted.

"During the initial treatment, the elephant emitted black urine and feces and smelled rotten. And this indicates the digestive metabolism is starting to react. The medical team took a second blood sample for laboratory testing," he said.

Then, the BKSDA medical team again treated the elephant and it was in better condition than before. The elephant moved towards the forest in the hope of joining its group.

"After three days from the third treatment or on Friday (31/1), the team's monitoring results found the elephant in a weak state and its condition could no longer be helped," said Ujang.