Indonesia: Rare birth of a Sumatran elephant, in danger of extinction

A Sumatran elephant was born in Indonesia, officials said Tuesday, a rare event for the 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 small female mammal was born on Monday at the tourist site of Buluh Cina, in western Indonesia, Genman Suhefti Hasibuan, head of the local nature protection agency, told AFP. . The newborn, not named, is the daughter of Ngatini, a 24-year-old elephant, and Robin, a 25-year-old elephant.

“The baby female elephant weighs 104 kilograms,” Genman Suhefti Hasibuan told AFP, adding that the animal “is healthy, lively and actively seeking its mother’s milk.”

Permanent struggle

Two more specimens of this critically endangered species were born in late 2023 at 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.

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