Sumatra elephants face an increased risk of extinction

The Wildlife Fund (WWF) continues to warn about the risk of increased extinction of Sumarta elephants in Indonesia.

A group of Sumatra elephants in the forest in East Aceh area in Aceh province.

The annual Sumatra elephant population is increasing, causing their numbers in Indonesia to drop to the lowest level since the 1980s.

WFF's Tiger and Sumatra Elephant Program Coordinator in Indonesia, Sunarto said the Sumatran elephant population has dropped significantly from 1,342 in 1985 to 210 in 2007, and is falling even more.

The cause of this rapid decline of elephants is hunting poached ivory. Their habitat narrows as palm oil companies expand their farming areas on forest land, and use explosives and even poisons to prevent elephants from destroying plantations.

Mr. Sunarto notes that the misperception of many elephants also contributes to the decline of Sumatra elephants, giving elephants their enemies. Even the website of some palm oil plantations has placed elephants on destructive species such as caterpillars and other pests.

According to WWF statistics, in 2012 27 Sumatran elephants were killed, including 15 in Riau (East Sumatra) and 12 in Aceh (northern Sumatra).