Another NGO involved in wildlife conservation is the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and they also engage in acts to conserve the Sumatran elephants.
They seek to reduce the human-elephant conflict through practices such as:
→ using chilli and tobacco-based deterrents to ensure that elephants do not invade the plantation fields
→ switching to planting of crops that elephants do not like to eat
→ switching up farming practices such that the farms are easier to defend
→ education
→ improving oil palm plantation practices in Malaysia and Indonesia
In 2004, WWF set up the Elephant Flying Squad. This was a team of park rangers, on a truck, armed with devices that could light up and make noise as well as four trained elephants. The purpose of this was to usher the wild elephants back into the forests should they seem like they are going to invade villages.
This effort was extremely successful and it has resulted in the lowering of losses for not just local communities but organisations as well. Currently, there are 4 Elephant Flying Squads in Riau Province.
WWF also seeks to counter the onset of major habitat loss such that it does not go to point of no return for the Sumatran elephants. They do this by securing healthy forests for the remaining populations. In 2004, the Tesso Nilo National Park was declared open by the Indonesian government and this was a considerable milestone in the protection of the Sumatran Elephant’s habitat. Tesso Nilo National Park, a protected area, is one of the largest remaining lowland forest area in Sumatra and its houses the greatest lowland forest plant biodiversity, which makes it suitable for the Sumatran elephants to thrive in.
“This is a giant step towards our vision of a greater Tesso Nilo National Park, that will make it possible to secure the protection of the magnificent Sumatran tiger and elephant,”
– Dr Mubariq Ahmad, WWF-Indonesia’s Chief Executive.
WWF had been helping in the the securing of the protection of the park, and continues to be involved in the partnering with the government in managing the park.