Treated After Found Thin And No Appetite, Wild Elephants In Riau Finally Healthy Back To Group

Wild elephants enter community oil palm plantations sick. (Photo: ANTARA/HO-Riau BKSDA Team)

RIAU - Riau BKSDA, Tesso Nilo National Park Center (TNTN) and the TNTN Foundation are treating a wild elephant that was reported to be sick in Pontian Mekar Village (SP 4), Lubuk Batu Jaya District, Indragiri Hulu Regency.

Information on the existence of this wild elephant was reported by the local community. "Until it was immediately reported to members of the Intel Kodim 0302 Indragiri Hulu and then forwarded to the Riau BKSDA. And the report was received by the Regional I Conservation Section Team, Pangkalan Kerinci," said Acting Head of the Riau KSDA Center, Fifin Arfiana Jogasara, in a statement quoted by Antara. , Thursday, October 27.

Based on reports, the community saw a wild elephant entering the oil palm plantation in a sick condition. Furthermore, on last Friday, the South Kerumutan Resort Team immediately went to the location to conduct field checks with the Pontian Mekar Village Head and the local community.

"At the location the team found an adult female wild elephant, thin and in a weak condition," said Fifin.

Based on the results of the inspection and observations at the location, it was confirmed that the elephant was sick after the team saw the food that was eaten vomited up again, namely the trunk and midrib of the palm. Then, direct treatment.

"In addition to carrying out treatment, officers also insert outreach activities to the community, so as not to act anarchically on protected animals, including Sumatran elephants," he said.

Fifin also appreciated the local community who took part in smoothing the process of handling the elephant, by guarding the medical team while carrying out treatment.

The treatment process, said Fifin, began to be carried out by a joint team after arriving at the location on Saturday, October 23. To expedite the treatment, the officers first administer anesthesia.

The results of checking the medical team, the wild elephant is female, aged about 30 years with a height of 217 centimeters and a weight of 2 tons.

"Meanwhile, the conditions found by the team in the field are that the elephant looks thin with a lack of appetite. In addition, it also has inflammation of the swelling and open wounds on the external reproductive organs that have larvae / caterpillars in that section," he said.

"To prevent the wound from getting worse, the team took steps to clean the wound and give topical medication to the wound area. Then a blood sample was taken to determine the general health condition of the elephant, and the blood sample will be sent to the laboratory," he said.

After going through the treatment process, the medical team then resuscitated the animals and released the wild elephants back into their habitat. Then accompanied by monitoring and observing the movement of animals to find out further conditions.

"After being treated, the team's observations in the elephant field seemed to move more swiftly than before the treatment," said Fifin.

Meanwhile, the results of monitoring carried out last Monday by the TNTN Foundation patrol team from Lubuk Kembang Bunga Village, it was confirmed that the wild elephant had mingled with the group.

Then the result of coordination with the local community, it was reported that the wild elephant had headed to the remaining forest area of the Tesso Nilo National Park which is located around Apolo Hill and Kompe's hut.

"The team in the field will conduct re-monitoring to ensure the Sumatran wild elephant is completely recovered and safe and returns to its habitat in the Teso Nilo National Park area," he said.