Wildlife crime unit concerned about elephants killing in Indonesia

Bandar Lampung, (ANTARA News) - The Wildlife Crime Unit (WCU) has expressed concern about the killing of elephants in Riau Province recently.

"It`s true that the killing happened in Riau, but we are worried that it might also occur in Lampung Province," Lampung WCU Coordinator Dwi Nugroho said.

Therefore, WCU kept on encouraging the improvement of national park and protected forest area management to protect the wildlife in Lampung forests, he said.

Conflicts between elephants and local residents were also reported in Lampung in the past few years.

Wild elephants reportedly came out from their habitats in several Lampung parks in the last few years. The big animals hurt local people and damaged plantation and human settlements located surrounding the forest areas.

"We very much hope that the killing of elephants in Riau, believed to be poisoned by poachers wanting to get the elephants` tusks, will never happen in Lampung," the WCU staff said.