A tragic loss - Heavily pregnant Sumatran elephant dies in Indonesia of suspected poisoning

This handout photo taken and released on May 26, 2022 by the Riau Conservation of Natural Resources shows veterinarians examining the carcass of a dead Sumatran elephant and its unborn baby in Bengkalis, Riau province. A pregnant and critically endangered Sumatran elephant and its unborn baby were found dead from suspected poisoning in western Indonesia on May 26, a local official said. - AFP

JAKARTA, May 27 (AP): A heavily pregnant Sumatran elephant, a critically endangered subspecies, was found dead of suspected poisoning near a palm plantation in Indonesia’s Riau province on the island of Sumatra, officials said Friday.

Sumatran elephants are a critically endangered species and fewer than 700 remain on the island. The animal is protected under an Indonesian law on the conservation of biological natural resources and their ecosystems.