Currently, the observers of elephant conservation in the formulating process of 2018-2028 strategy and action plan of Sumatran Elephant and Borneo Pygmy Elephant conservation. In the preparation, the vision that will be raised is a harmonious life between elephants and humans. Living harmony becomes a dream ahead in combining the survival of elephants and human existence. This condition is grounded by strengthening the interaction of elephants and human in space and needs competition.
In previous conservation strategies and elephant action plans, 85% of elephant living spaces are in community-built or corporate concessions, especially in some provinces in Sumatra. This condition does not seem to change and it increases from year to year due to land clearing for settlements, infrastructure, HTI (timber industry) and plantations. Elephant conflict with humans increases synergistically with population migration to clear land and death or casualties between the two parties. Elephant and human conflict is the biggest contributor to elephant death along with ivory hunting.
Human elephant conflicts globally occur in many parts of Africa (for African elephants with humans) and Asia (for Asian elephants with humans). This classic problem in some Asian countries is the cause of high human deaths such as Sri Lanka and India where an average of 50-150 people die from conflict with elephants per year in addition to damaging plantation crops or agriculture. Thus, the public view of the elephant is a pest and is printed in gardening and agricultural manuals. In some places including Sumatra, people's motivation to kill elephants is revenge.
Efforts have been made
In many countries in Africa and Asia (including Indonesia), conflict management has been carried out by communities traditionally or with modern relative techniques. Some of the most common techniques used in many countries are the manufacture of physical and psychological barriers such as elephant trenches, electric fence, the use of loud voices and powerful floodlights for the expulsion and use of benign elephants for expulsion and spinning. In Indonesia, a team of conflict mitigation with tame elephants is conducted by PLG (Elephant Training Center), CRU (Conservation Response Unit) whose position in Aceh, Flying squad whose position in Riau and ERU (Elephant Respond Unit) more work to reduce elephant conflict Human in Lampung. These teams are a solid team in reducing conflicts to 68% (analysis of flying squad data) in communities and corporate concessions.In many places, conflict mitigation techniques can successfully reduce the intensity of conflict, but many are temporary or short-lived, especially elephant trenches and electric fence. The main cause is maintenance barrier weak and relatively expensive. In addition, some elephant cases are trapped or dead due to errors in barrier-making procedures. In the case of February 2016, one elephant died of electric shock due to incorrect installation of electric fence procedure in Duri, Riau.
In recent years, prevention strategies and early warning systems have begun to be developed compared to the conflict mitigation techniques that have been used. In Riau and Jambi, several stakeholders including the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, NGOs and communities developed elephant monitoring techniques closely supported by mobile teams that standby on site. They are equipped with coordinate data from the movement of elephants through direct monitoring in the field or GPS Collar mounted on the elephant. The task of this mobile team is not only monitoring, but quick response to conflict and as an early warning system that can provide information to the community to be ready in conflict mitigation.
Another effort is the restoration of elephant habitat within protected areas and concession areas or community counseling. Mapping of elephant roaming areas and lands not used by communities due to elephant conflict, managed and enriched for elephant needs. This area is called core zone for elephant, buffer zone, the people can develop economic commodity of plant not eaten by elephant. The community of oil palm planters whose plants are preferred by elephants, is expected to be replaced by plants that are not eaten by elephants but are economically valuable. Core zone is the main habitat of elephants and its management is expected to result in more elephant movement concentration in this region. Core zone is also the last place for people to do elephant expulsion and spinning. This initiation is under way in several elephant pockets in Riau and Jambi and initiates in Peusangan landscape, Aceh.
Harmony with Elephant
In the long run, preventive action and paradigm change of conflict mitigation becomes an important part of a stronger solution in elephant management in corporate concessions and community counseling. This step is more proactive, put forward win win solution between elephant and human, encourage coexistence of elephant and human and holistic handling pattern. At the spatial level, the government can accommodate elephant pockets within the RTRWP (Provincial Spatial Plan), the development of elephant corridors agreed between researchers, government, companies and communities.
RTRWP is also a reference in building elephant spatial and human spatial strategy in more detail at tapak (village) level. This division of space benefits both sides, elephants have space to move and humans can improve their economics even within the elephant. The elephant habitat zone is set to be enriched in its habitat, so the concentration of elephants focuses on this region naturally and this region is not harmed by concessions and communities by land clearing or commodity cultivation.
Integration of habitat development and mitigation of elephant-human conflict is developed through elephant movement monitoring teams closely. Governments and stakeholder partners can facilitate the strengthening of these teams including monitoring and financing strategies in operations. The task of this team ensures that elephant movement (elephant corridor) is optimally used, responding to conflicts and awareness about elephants. The team is charged to ensure there are no elephant deaths in the wild from either conflict or hunting.