Aceh BKSDA Deploys Team to Mitigate Elephant-Human Conflict in Central Aceh

  • 01 Sep 2026 14:38 WIB
  •  Voice of Indonesia
Poin Utama
  • Aceh BKSDA deployed a specialized response team after a wild Sumatran elephant chased a farmer in a plantation in Ketol Subdistrict, Central Aceh.
  • Authorities are monitoring and herding a group of three elephants toward forested areas while urging residents to avoid direct contact with the critically endangered animals.

RRI.CO.ID, Banda Aceh - The Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) has deployed a specialized response team to Buter, Ketol Subdistrict, Central Aceh Regency, following reports of a wild Sumatran elephant chasing a farmer in a local plantation.

Aceh BKSDA Head Ujang Wisnu Barata confirmed that the victim managed to escape unharmed. Preliminary field assessments indicate a herd of three Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus) is moving through the area, led by a juvenile male likely navigating an established home range pathway.

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BKSDA personnel, in coordination with local authorities and conservation partners, are monitoring the herd and conducting herding operations to push the animals back toward forested zones away from residential areas. The Sumatran elephant remains critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, and authorities reminded the public that injuring, trapping, or killing protected wildlife carries strict criminal penalties under Indonesian law.

Conservation authorities urged heightened caution among plantation workers while reaffirming the legal mandate to protect critically endangered species and their habitats.

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Head of the Aceh BKSDA Ujang Wisnu Barata detailed the initial field findings and advised residents on safety protocols.

"Our preliminary analysis suggests a juvenile male elephant is currently retracing its natural home range pathway, causing panic when approaching community areas, we urge residents to exercise extreme caution while working in plantations, maintain clear communication, avoid areas with fresh elephant tracks, and refrain from taking independent action without the accompaniment of trained field officers," Wisnu said in Banda Aceh on Monday, August 31, 2026, as quoted by Antara. ***

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Kata Kunci / Tags
Aceh BKSDA Aceh wildlife Central Aceh critically endangered species elephant conservation elephant-human conflict Elephas maximus sumatranus human-wildlife conflict Ketol District protected species RRI news Sumatran elephant wildlife conservation

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