Indonesia: 1-year-old Sumatran elephant dies after losing half of her trunk

Despite attempts to cure the wounds of a baby elephant who was trapped by the poachers in Indonesia's Sumatra island in Aceh province, she died on Tuesday after losing half her trunk to a trap set. According to Agus Arianto, the head of Aceh's conservation agency the trunk of the baby elephant stopped working after it was cut. He also stated that they did everything they could but, unfortunately couldn't save the elephant. The 1-year-old female elephant was one of only 700 wild Sumatran elephants left on the island.

According to conservation officials, she was found on Sunday, November 14, in Alue Meuraksa, a village covered with forest in the Aceh Jaya district. Arianto also said that a team of doctors were examining the newborn elephant's body to ascertain the cause of death. According to Arianto, wildlife officials had to amputate half of the trunk on Monday, November 15.

Baby elephant became ill from stress and infection says Doctor

Rika Marwati, a veterinarian at the clinic stated that her death was shocking since she appeared fine after being amputated. She became ill from stress and infection late Monday and died the next morning. The conservationists said the Coronavirus pandemic has led to an upsurge in poaching in Sumatra, as locals turn to hunt as a source of income. In the previous nine years, 25 Sumatran elephants have died as a result of being snared and poisoned in the East Aceh area alone, according to Arianto.

In its 2012 Red List, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) upgraded the Sumatran elephant's status from endangered to critically endangered, owing to a significant decline in the population, as evident by the loss of over 69% of the elephant's potential habitat in the last 25 years. According to data from the Indonesian forestry and environment ministry, the Sumatran elephant population has decreased by nearly half since 2014, from 1,300 to 693.

About Sumatran elephants 

Sumatran elephants are found in Sumatra Island and the Sunda Islands in Indonesia. These elephants are among the largest mammals on land, belonging to the Elephantidae family. According to A-Z Animals, Sumatran elephants are intelligent and have a good memory. They require a large amount of land to grow.

Inputs from AP News

Image: AP