Wild Elephants Occasion Of Residents' Gardens In The Inland Of West Aceh

A hut belonging to a farmer overturned as a result of being attacked by a pair of wild elephants at a community plantation stall in Gleng Village, Sungai Mas District, West Aceh Regency, Friday (11/8/2023). (ANTARA/HO)

A pair of wild elephants were reported to have torn through the community's oil palm and betel nut plantations in Gleng Village, Sungai Mas District, West Aceh Regency, causing the community's productive plants in the area to be badly damaged.

"Alhamdulillah, there were no casualties in this incident," said Sungai Mas sub-district head, West Aceh Regency, Zulkifli, as reported by ANTARA, Friday, August 11.

Based on temporary data obtained, he said, the amount of damage to oil palm and betel nut trees belonging to farmers in Gleng Village, Sungai Mas District, West Aceh Regency reached dozens of trees.

"We are waiting for real data from the village officials," said Zulkifli.

In addition to destroying plants in residents' gardens in remote areas in West Aceh, a pair of wild elephants with male and female gender also damaged a hut belonging to a farmer in the garden site.

Zulkifli said that due to the disturbance of wild elephants, people in the interior of West Aceh are currently wary of the threat of wild elephants that at any time

He is also grateful that the disturbance of wild elephants in the area has also begun to receive treatment from related parties, by making efforts to expel them by burning firecrackers.

Meanwhile, the village head (Keuchik) of Gleng, Sungai Mas District, West Aceh Regency, Ansari, who was contacted separately, said that the wildlife disturbance of a pair of elephants in their village had only happened this time.

"Previously there had never been a disturbance like this," he said.

Ansari said that until now residents in her village are still worried about being in the garden, because according to residents of wildlife protected by the country, they are still roaming around the forest in the local village.