BENGKULU'S ELEPHANT POPULATION NOW ONLY 150

Bengkulu, Nov 25 (ANTARA) - The number of elephants existing in Bengkulu province, Sumatra, has been reduced from 225 to 150, a conservationist said.

The declining number of Sumatran elephants in Bengkulu is due among others to illegal hunting, poisoning (due to conflict with locals) and unmanaged population outside the conservation areas, Supartono of Bangkulu's Nature Conservation Agency (BKSDA), said here on Wednesday.

Bengkulu has eight areas of elephant habitat, one habitat is in a conservation area while the seven others are outside the conserved locations.

But now, those outside the conservation area have been transformed into a small-holder and a large scale palm oil plantation estates.

The transformation of the elephant habitat into an estate happened among others in the areas of the South Bukit Barisan National Park and in North Bengkulu.