Sumatran elephant population decreases sharply to 2,500

Asian Economic News, Nov 13, 2000

JAKARTA, Nov. 10 Kyodo

The population of Sumatran elephants, one of the world's officially protected animals, has declined sharply from an estimated 3,500 not long ago to just 2,500 now, the Indonesian newspaper Kompas reported Friday.

Muhammad Hambal, an official of the Fauna and Flora International-Sumatran Elephant Conservation Program, told the paper the decline is largely due to ''uncontrollable human activities.''

He said economic activities are partly responsible for the destruction of the elephant habitat by the converting tropical forests into plantations.

Illegal hunting also plays a large part in hastening the extinction of the endangered species, he said.

Forests in West Aceh and Pidie regencies in Aceh are believed to have the biggest concentration of the elephants, estimated at 600 to 800.