Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung – A herd of some 20 wild elephants from the South Bukit Barisan National Park (TNBBS) in Lampung ventured again into nearby settlements in the past week, ravaging dozens of hectares plantations and residents' houses as their habitat continues to shrink.
The elephants invaded Tambak Asri, Tenam Sembilan and Sri Menanti villages in Way Tenong district, West Lampung on Tuesday night, destroying a house in Tambak Asri and two houses in Tenam Sembilan.
Joko Santoso of the Illegal Logging Response Center here, said that the elephants had resorted to destructive behavior due to the gradual encroachment on their habitat by illegal loggers and the consequent shortage of food. "Extensive land clearance and illegal logging activities have heightened the conflict between the elephants and residents living around the national park," said Joko.
According to Joko, there are still around 300 to 400 elephants remaining in the South Bukit Barisan and Way Kambas national parks. "They require an adequate range of habitats and food sources, without which they will come out from the forest and venture into farms or plantations and villages near them," said Joko. The conflict has been going for the past few years and it remains to be seen whether the problem can be resolved soon.
When The Jakarta Post visited the Sri Menanti area (bordering TNBBS) last year, most parts of the forest were barren. Dozens of hectares of coffee plantations, an elementary school and residents' houses were found precisely on the fringes of Sri Menanti village and the national park.
Based on TNBBS data, Sri Menanti village was enclosed in the park previously. In the 1970s, the location was omitted from the park territory and turned into a village.
Trucks carrying sacks of coffee cultivated within the park area, can be seen every day passing along the main road leading to Sri Menanti. Dozens of villages found in West Lampung were previously included within the park zone.
A former World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) activist, Emon, 30, said that the elephants had resorted to such behavior because their habitat had been encroached on due to rampant illegal logging.
According to Emon, the wild elephants frequently enter the settlements as they feel restless in the forest due to poachers. "Actually, hunters are issued permits to hunt deer. But, who can guarantee they won't shoot at elephants and tigers? Eight elephant carcasses were found in the national park last year, abandoned by poachers after cutting off their tusks," said the environmentalist who is monitoring large wildlife species, such as elephants, rhinoceroses and tigers.
Head of the South Bukit Barisan National Park, Tamen Sitorus, said that the herd of elephants usually enter the villages twice a year using a similar route generally at night and return to the forest the next morning.
According to Tamen, his office has assigned seven forest rangers, assisted by local residents, to drive the elephants back to the forest using traditional methods, such as bamboo torches and beating bamboo or wooden drums.
"We certainly cannot blame the elephants because they enter the villages because their habitat is damaged. Illegal logging activities have continued unabated. Most of the villages, now crowded with people, were once the elephants' habitat," said Tamen.