Jakarta – A wild Sumatran elephant has been found dead in the forest of Way Kambas National Park (TNWK) in East Lampung regency, Lampung.

The adult elephant was discovered at the Toto Projo Resort, Bungur Region II Section, around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Lampung Police chief spokeswoman Sr. Comr. Umi Fadilah Astutik confirmed the elephant was found lying on its left side.

"The TNWK conservation center management reported the elephant's death," Umi said on Sunday, as quoted by kompas.com. Umi added that the cause of death was still under investigation.

The TNWK medical team collected skin, bone and internal organ samples for a necropsy examination.

This is the third case of an elephant death in the park in the past eight months.

A 40-year-old female elephant named Bunga was found dead on Aug. 29 in the TNWK. The elephant was discovered near the park's conservation center, the cause of death remains unknown.

Samples of Bunga's skin, bones and organs were also collected for necropsy and its remains were buried.

On Dec. 24, 2023, a wild male elephant named Dugul was also found dead near the Way Kambas elephant training center. Dugul, was fitted with a GPS tracker to monitor his movements, and concern arose when the device showed no activity. When officers arrived at his location, they found him already dead.

Dugul was well-known among TNWK staff for his solitary behavior. Unlike most elephants, he did not live in a herd and was notable for being tuskless. Before his death, Dugul was observed to be very thin.

Source: https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2024/10/07/wild-elephant-found-dead-in-way-kambas.htm