Authorities investigate death of Sumatran elephant in Jambi

Jambi (ANTARA) - The Jambi Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) and Forestry Law Enforcement Agency for Sumatra are investigating the death of a Sumatran elephant in the concession area of PT Lestari Asri Jaya’s in Tebo District, Jambi Province.

“The investigation is ongoing. We cannot draw any conclusions yet because that would exceed our authority, and laboratory testing is still underway,” Head of Jambi BKSDA Himawan Sasongko said here on Saturday.

BKSDA officers discovered the carcass of a male Sumatran elephant calf in a hole within the PT LAJ concession in late August. The elephant was less than two years old.

Himawan said BKSDA and the Forestry Law Enforcement Agency were awaiting comprehensive laboratory results before determining the cause of death of the protected animal.

Laboratory tests by IPB University found no evidence of elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV), a virus that frequently affects young elephants.

Meanwhile, preliminary histopathological tests by the Bogor Veterinary Center detected a foreign substance that does not originate from the elephants’ natural food sources.

However, Himawan declined to disclose details about the substance’s contents, citing the need to protect the investigation and ensure it proceeds smoothly.

Jambi BKSDA is awaiting one further laboratory test from the Bukittinggi Veterinary Center, with the results expected soon.

The Bukittinggi Veterinary Center’s findings will later be compared with laboratory results from Bogor to help determine the cause of death.

“We cannot disclose the type of substance yet because doing so could undermine the investigation and risk the loss of evidence,” Himawan said.

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Translator: Agus S, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Bayu Prasetyo
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