Deforestation in Indonesia is occurring at the second highest level in the world, and most rapidly on its island of Sumatra.
The clearance of forest for palm oil and industrial pulpwood plantations is having a highly detrimental effect on the island’s wildlife, and has triggered a 40% drop in its elephant population since 1992.With a remaining, dwindling population (2,000-2,500 Sumatran elephants in the wild, and about 550 individuals in captivity), this unique subspecies is highly endangered. Starving and stressed herds raid crops nd trample villages, sparking violent confrontations.
They are poisoned, shot and poached. In the past five years, 200 elephants involved in conflict situations have been captured from the wild and held at “Conservation Centres”, which are poorly equipped and lack trained vets, shade, water and other key facilities. In many cases they are unable to meet basic food or healthcare requirements.
Elephant Family does not support the capture of wild elephants as a solution to human-elephant conflict, and is part of an international push to bring about this change in Indonesia. But in the meantime it has been supporting VESSWIC’s Elephant Health Care Programme since 2003 to address the ongoing plight of Sumatra’s captive populations. This programme is implemented across six Conservation Centres with a team of specialised vets for 143 elephants. The vets also provide contact and support for the mahouts and share their knowledge of elephant biology, medical care and management during monthly educational workshops, which have increased the day-to-day standard of elephant husbandry and welfare.
Increasingly these captive elephants and their mahouts are being developed into “Conservation Response Units” for law enforcement and reducing humanelephant conflict. VESSWIC is currently the only organisation in Sumatra providing veterinary services to support these units.
The project is also building up veterinary expertise in elephant conservation throughout Sumatra by training local and student vets.
Elephant Health Care Programme
Aim:
To introduce and establish regular veterinary care, training and management systems to improve the health and welfare of Sumatra’s domesticated elephants.
Results:
As a result of regular, scheduled visits to all six Conservation Centres, the health of the elephants has improved and stabilised, and knowledge of elephant behaviour and biology among their mahouts has increased.
VESSWIC’s track record of success is beginning to bear fruit as government officials and non-government agencies recognise their proven expertise and get on board. In 2009 VESSWIC finalised a working agreement with a the National Conservation agency in Jakarta and are now on the way to agreements for cooperation with other such agencies in the provinces.
Some of these agencies are now even redirecting funds earmarked to catch elephants from the wild and use them instead to provide food for the already captive elephants. Most significantly, the capture of wild elephants has been stopped since the end of last year in all the areas where VESSWIC is active. VESSWIC have also continued to participate in local and international veterinary research. For example in 2009 then we, supported an evaluation into Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus at Way Kambas National Park by researchers from Balitvet and the Institution for Zoo and Wildlife research in Berlin.
This study will be the first time information becomes available about the existence and infectious status of this important disease in Sumatran elephants
Status:
Supported since 2003
