It is heartbreaking to hear about an elephant calf on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, which suffered from a tragic incident of poaching. The innocent calf became a victim of a cruel trap set by poachers who were targeting rare species on the island. As a result, the poor calf’s trunk was severed, leaving it in a fragile state. It is saddening to know that this calf was one of the last 700 remaining wild Sumatran elephants on the island. The situation calls for immediate attention and action towards protecting these endangered creatures.

Wildlife protectors had to remove a part of the trunk of an elephant calf during its rescue, and it is now recuperating at an Elephant Training Center located in Aceh Besar, Indonesia. Mr. Arianto, a conservation officer, lamented the unfortunate incident, citing it as a result of hunting endangered species for monetary gain. The authorities are set to carry out an inquiry into the matter.

According to conservationists, the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in an upsurge in poaching incidents in Sumatra. Local communities have resorted to hunting as a means of survival. Unfortunately, a decapitated elephant was discovered in East Aceh’s palm plantation in July.

Law enforcement officers have apprehended a probable poacher and four others charged with buying ivory. The area in question has seen 25 elephants trapped and poisoned within the last nine years. Sumatran elephants were promoted from endangered to critically endangered on the IUCN’s 2012 Red List. In a mere seven years, the population of these creatures has plummeted from roughly 1,300 to approximately 693.