Sumatran elephant born in Indonesia, rare event for critically endangered species

A Sumatran elephant was born in Indonesia, announced Tuesday, November 5, Genman Suhefti Hasibuan, head of the local agency responsible for nature protection. The small female mammal was born on Monday November 4 at the tourist site of Buluh Cina, in western Indonesia. This is a rare event for this critically endangered subspecies.

Sumatran elephants are threatened with imminent extinction: only 2,400 to 2,800 remain in the world, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The newborn, not yet baptized, is the daughter of Ngatini, a 24-year-old elephant, and Robin, a 25-year-old elephant.

“The baby female elephant weighs 104 kilos”said Genman Suhefti Hasibuan, adding that the animal “is healthy, lively and actively seeking his mother’s milk”.

Two other specimens born at the end of 2023

Two other specimens were born at the end of 2023 in Way Kambas National Park, in southwest Indonesia. Indonesian authorities welcomed these births and affirmed that nature protection was essential to prevent these animals from disappearing.

The elephant population is threatened by poaching, with the ivory of their tusks arousing strong desire on the illegal market for wildlife products. Indonesia is engaged in an ongoing fight against wildlife crime. Several cases of elephant poisoning have been reported in recent years.

Deforestation has also reduced the natural habitat of elephants, which has led to conflict situations in agricultural areas, where crops have been damaged.