Elephants devastate oil palm plantations

Jon Afrizal, The Jakarta Post
May 1, 2009

A herd of 30 rampaging elephants in Serai Serumpun district, Tebo regency in Jambi, has destroyed dozens of hectares of oil palm crops since April 27, despite efforts by local residents to drive them away.

The elephants are believed to have ventured outside Bukit Tiga Puluh National Park (TNBT) in search of food. The elephants spread out quickly and devoured the young shoots of oil palm trees by uprooting the trees with their trunks, thus damaging the crops.

Farmers have been left fuming and at the same time terrified by the elephant attacks. Because the farms are located far from human settlements, the rogue elephants did not damage residents' homes. No casualties have been reported from any of the attacks so far.

"The elephants have ravaged plasma oil palm farms and nucleus plantations," said Sekutur Jaya villager Udin. Serai Serumpun district chief Kamal confirmed on April 29 that elephant attacks had become a regular occurrence in several villages in the district.

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