Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry has presented a strategy and action plan for the conservation of the Sumatran elephant. The document is intended to serve as a practical guide for the protection of this endangered species, according to
ANTARA.
One of the measures will be the construction of a fence stretching over 100 km in Lampung Province in the south of the island of Sumatra and in other regions of the country. The protective fences are intended to prevent damage to crops caused by the animals and financial losses to the local population.
“We must monitor this together so that it does not remain merely a theoretical document but becomes an operational one that can be implemented consistently at the grassroots level,” said Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni.
The Indonesian authorities intend to strengthen cooperation between government bodies, local residents, businesses and environmental organisations. The plan forms part of a wider programme to protect the populations and habitats of Sumatran and Kalimantan elephants, supported by President Prabowo Subianto.