PEKANBARU (The Jakarta Post/ANN): Amid news of rampant deforestation and illegal wildlife animal trading, Tesso Nilo National Park in Riau, Indonesia, brings good news after Ria, a 55-year-old female Sumatran elephant, gave birth to a female calf.
The birth is a relief for protected animal conservation and adds new hope for Sumatran elephants, which face extinction.
Tesso Nilo National Park head Heru Sutmantoro said the calf was first found in a forest about 1 kilometer from a conservation post called the Camp Elephants Flying Squad in Lubuk Kembang Bunga village, Ukui district, Pelalawan regency.
The calf was found with her mother, and the placenta was found at the birth location. The birth was discovered on Wednesday at about 7:30 a.m. by mahout Erwin Daulay. When he was about to move Ria from her binding spot to a grazing area, Erwin saw that Ria was accompanied by a newborn calf.
“Based on the condition in the field, the calf was estimated to be born at about 4 a.m.,” Heru said on Thursday. Morning Brief Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning.
The discovery was immediately reported to the resort head and the TNTN medical team. Veterinarians led by Teguh Iman Notonegoro moved to the location using motorcycles carrying medical equipment to conduct medical checks on the mother and calf.
“Examination results show that the female calf is in very healthy condition, active without physical disability and able to breastfeed with her mother,” he said. “The calf was Ria’s fifth child from natural breeding with wild elephants in Tesso Nilo.”
The calf is 93 centimeters tall, 104 cm long, and its chest measures 112 cm. Her temperature was 37.8 degrees, and she had a normal heartbeat. Ria’s previous calves are Tesso, Tino, Harmino and Domang.
The successful reproduction shows that Tesso Nilo still has an important role in supporting the sustainability of Sumatran elephants. In the past eight years, TNTN’s Camp Elephants Flying Squad has recorded four births from two tamed mothers, Lisa and Ria.
The achievement is a success indicator of conservation management and strengthens TNTN’s position as one of the most important habitats for rare wildlife in Indonesia.
With the birth of the female cub, there are now eight elephants at Camp Elephants Flying Squad, consisting of three adults, two juveniles, and three calves.
All veterinarians and the mahout team will continue intensive monitoring to ensure the mother and calf remain healthy during post-partum recovery,” Teguh said.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) added Sumatran elephants to the Critically Endangered (CR) list in 2011.
Successful conservation
Meanwhile, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) put Sumatran elephants on its Appendix I, which is for animals threatened with extinction and to which the highest level of CITES protection is afforded.
Any commercial trade of animals in CITES Appendix I is prohibited. It is estimated that there are more than 2,000 Sumatran elephants in the wild.
Sumatran elephants are also included on the list of protected animals by the Environmental and Forestry Ministerial Regulation No. P106/2018.
Riau Police chief Insp. Gen. Herry Heryawan welcomed the birth and said that amid various complex challenges from illegal poaching to deforestation, the birth brings a moral message for everyone.
“Alhamdulillah [Praise be to God], this is good news that comes from Tesso Nilo National Park. Despite all the challenges, nature still gives us a chance to repair, maintain, and conserve Sumatran elephants,” he said.
“The birth not only increases the population of Sumatran elephants but also brings hope for their sustainability in their natural habitat.” Herry hopes the elephant calf will grow healthy and become an important part of Tesso Nilo’s future. -- The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network
