In the mid-1980s, there were only 44 elephant populations on the island of Sumatra. Hedges et al. (2005) stated that there were only three elephant populations in Lampung Province.
Since elephants are wild animals protected by the state, the habitat of this mammal, known by its Latin name Elephas maximus, is in national parks. These conservation areas are not fenced off because the principle of conservation is to maintain the environment as natural as possible so as not to hinder the lives of protected wild animals. As the cost of fencing is too expensive, it is better to allocate the cost of fencing to elephant conservation.
Production forests are located in the border of the national parks, which are conservation areas for elephants and other protected animals. Conflicts usually occur near the border area between national parks and production forests.
Palm oil is a high-value export commodity grown in production forest areas. Many palm oil plantation entrepreneurs prefer to expand monoculture plantations. However, monoculture plantations are more susceptible to pests and diseases than agroforestry systems.
Environmentally Friendly Agroforestry System
By environmentally friendly agroforestry, palm oil products will not be banned from import into the European Union. Agroforestry systems are appropriate with the concept of sustainability, especially the environmental aspect. Although this system produces lower productivity compared to monoculture plantations, the quality of the products are better.
It is advisable to intensify agriculture to overcome the low productivity of agroforestry systems, for example, by using high-quality seeds, compost, organic pesticides, and so on.
Palm oil plantations' staffs are forbidden to burn the forest for cultivation area. The forest burning will endanger the safety of animals, including elephants. It is potential to decrease the habitat if the burning area is expanding to the National Park.
Elephant Feed Plants Planted in National Parks
To prevent elephant herds from damaging palm oil plantations, elephant feed crops should be planted in national parks, such as durian trees, lime trees, and others.