When the Indonesian island of Sumatra was struggling to recover from devastating
floods last week, local authorities in Aceh turned to an unconventional form of help to clear debris: elephants.
The move to deploy four trained elephants in Pidie Jaya Regency, however, has drawn mixed reactions, with some experts praising the effective response to extreme conditions and others criticising it due to the risks faced by the critically endangered species.
Triggered by days of torrential rain last month, the floods killed more than 1,000 people across Sumatra and left swathes of its northern region cut off, with bridges destroyed and roads buried under mud and fallen trees.
The four Sumatran elephants – Mido, Ajis, Abu and Noni – were put to work hauling logs and other debris after being brought in from the Saree Elephant Training Centre in Aceh Besar.
All the tuskers had a similar experience in 2004 when they were deployed in Aceh following the tsunami that devastated the province.
“At that time [2004], they recovered numerous victims from the rubble. They have extensive experience in post-disaster operations,” said Hadi Sofyan, head of the Sigli Natural Resources Conservation Agency, the organisation that deployed the elephants from its training centre.