A baby elephant in Indonesia has undergone a trunk amputation after being trapped by poachers and abandoned by her herd.
The young elephant, just one-year-old, was discovered in a weakened state with a snare deeply embedded in her trunk on Sumatra Island.
This island, home to a dwindling population of wild Sumatran elephants, now has only about 700 individuals remaining.
The rescue took place on Sunday in the village of Alue Meuraksa, located in the forested Aceh Jaya district.
Agus Arianto, head of the Aceh province conservation agency, reported that the elephant was taken to the Elephant Training Centre in Aceh Besar for emergency surgery, where half of her trunk was amputated to save her life.
Arianto condemned the poaching as a deliberate act aimed at exploiting endangered animals for financial gain. “We will work closely with law enforcement to investigate this incident,” he said.
After becoming ensnared, the calf was separated from her herd due to her injuries and deteriorating condition.
The rise in poaching has been linked to the economic hardships exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, with villagers increasingly turning to illegal hunting.
In a separate case from July, another elephant was discovered decapitated at a palm plantation in East Aceh. Authorities have arrested a suspected poacher and four individuals accused of ivory trafficking.
The suspects face potential imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of 100 million rupiah (£5,250) if convicted.
Arianto said 25 Sumatran elephants have been snared or poisoned in East Aceh alone over the past nine years.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified Sumatran elephants as critically endangered, reflecting a dramatic population decline due to habitat loss. Over the past 25 years, more than 69% of their habitat has been destroyed.
Data from the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry and Environment shows a nearly 50% reduction in the Sumatran elephant population from 1,300 in 2014 to 693 today.
This decline underscores the severe threats facing this subspecies of the Asian elephant, one of only two elephant species globally.
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