According to the Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), most of these elephants were killed by people, either through poisoning or from being shot or electrocuted.
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A tame 30-year-old male elephant died from poisoning at the Conservation Response Unit (CRU) grounds in Serbajadi, East Aceh regency.
Bunta, as the elephant was called, was the 56th elephant to have suffered from such a fate in the past six years. According to the Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), most of these elephants were killed by people, either through poisoning or from being shot or electrocuted.
We may ask whether or not we must trouble ourselves over the death of an elephant, when there are millions of people trapped in poverty and in need of our help.
Conservation group World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Indonesia cited the Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus) as an umbrella species for their habitat and a representation of the biodiversity of the complex ecosystem where they live.
Currently, Sumatran elephants are critically endangered. The species is included on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red list of threatened species. The shrinking of forests as trees are illegally logged to make room for massive plantations has led to the reduction of the Sumatran elephant population.
The Indonesian government named Sumatran elephants a protected species in Law No. 5/1990 on natural resources and ecosystem conservation as well as Government Regulation (PP) No. 7/1999 on the preservation of plants and animals.
Bunta was indeed “just” an elephant. However, his case represents the tragic reality of the country’s protection of forests and wild animals. Furthermore, the elephant was killed in a zone that should have protected him. Indonesia is often highlighted globally as its tropical rainforests are the world’s third most biodiverse. Preserved ecosystems are important for mankind’s sustainability, especially as the global temperature is getting warmer.
Due to its status as an umbrella species, elephants have an even larger role than other wild animals. The mammals, known for their complex social lives and migration routes, need living environments with an adequate carrying capacity. The reduction of their population reflects the declining quality of their environment – which will eventually affect humans’ lives as well.
Bunta’s death, allegedly due to eating bait daubed with poison, reflects people’s greed. One of his tusks was reported as missing and the body was just left to rot. Before his death, a video had gone viral on social media that portrayed orangutans losing their forests due to illegal logging.
All of this can be used to attack Indonesia in international forums. This is also related to the issue of crude palm oil exports to the European Union, which has been linked with issues of environmental destruction and climate change.
While our government is arguing that there has been discrimination over our crude palm oil, we should also focus on our other work. Indonesia has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by protecting its forests and biodiversity. Therefore, the government should pay serious attention to the protection of wild animals, especially those listed as protected species, for our own good.