Pregnant Elephant Found Dead in Riau Sumatra

TheIndonesia.id - A pregnant female Sumatran elephant was found dead in the concession area of PT Riau Abadi Lestari in the Talang Muandau District, Bengkalis Regency, Riau Province, Wednesday. The Head of Riau Natural Resources Conservation Center Region II Hartono in Pekanbaru, Thursday, May 26, 2022, said that there were no signs of violence on the elephant's body.

"Based on the necropsy result, there was no attempt of violence, but blood came out of his nose, mouth, ears and anus. This means that there is an indication that the elephant ate a fruit that may be poisonous. This is still a possibility," he said.

Hartono said that on Thursday afternoon samples of the elephant's organs in the form of liver, intestinal wall, and lungs as well as samples of the feces of the large mammal were sent to the Bukittinggi Veterinary Center in West Sumatra for examination.

"We hope that from the laboratory results there will be an answer as to the cause of death. From there, we will follow up," he said. "We and the local police will take legal action steps for the investigation process related to the cause of the elephant's death."

He said that the pregnant elephant found dead was estimated to be 25 years old. The baby in the elephant also could not be saved. The Sumatran elephant carcass has now been buried.

The female elephant who died while pregnant was suspected to be a member of the chrysanthemum herd because there were at least 17 members of the elephant herd in the vicinity of the elephant carcass.