WCS is a non-profit organisation that is committed to protecting the world’s wildlife and wild places.
WCS Indonesia is involved in the conservation of the Sumatran Elephant in a few ways:
Firstly, the protection of elephants and their habitat. This was done by setting up teams of SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) patrol units, aimed at dealing with the illegal killing of elephants in Way Kambas National Park.
Secondly, the reduction of the human-elephant conflict. The WSC Wildlife Response Unit in Way Kambas National Park set off fireworks to scare away elephants that encroach onto farming communities, back into the forests. This prevents the possibility of them destroying crops at the edge of the forest which might raise the intolerance of local farming communities toward the elephants. These efforts possibly reduces confrontations of the elephants by villagers which could prove fatal if poisoning or electrocution methods are used. In 2016, this Unit handled 440 cases of human-elephant conflict. In 54% of the cases, there was successful prevention of the elephants entering the farming area and in 46% of the cases, even though the elephant already managed to encroach upon the farmland, the team succeeded in shepherding them back into the forest with minimal crop damage done.
Thirdly, the combating of elephant poaching. WCS partners with the national park to conduct anti-poaching patrols. The SMART patrol units are set up to deal with the illegal killing of elephants in the Way Kambas National Park. Information about threats are recorded over time and space and used to guide future patrolling routines, saving costs and time. (This could lead to swifter arrival at the scene to intervene in potential human-elephant conflict as well!)