Elephants Helping Elephants in Sumatra

The critically endangered Sumatran elephant has an estimated 1500 individuals left. And that number may be even less. They live on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, which is also home to the critically endangered Sumatran rhino, critically endangered Sumatran tiger, and critically endangered Sumatran orangutan. Protecting these elephants protects vital habitat full of biodiversity, and IEF has been committed to Sumatra for over 25 years.

Elephant Response Units in Way Kambas National Park patrol an area that holds what might be the largest connecting breeding herd of Sumatran elephants. Made up of mahouts, forest officials, and trained elephants, ERU teams can access and therefore protect areas that are unreachable by car, motorbike or foot. These elephants are helping their wild cousins while enjoying a high standard of care. Working from 4 different base camps, ERUs find and remove snares, catch poachers and wildlife criminals, and herd wild elephants away from park boundaries. ERU teams also collect important data on wildlife, like this tiger paw print, and even aid injured animals when necessary.

Since the park borders villages and subsistence agricultural fields, the ERUs also participate in important community outreach. They work with farmers to conduct night watches, notify villagers when elephants may be approaching, and serve as ambassadors for nature by teaching the value of conservation and how to leave alongside it peacefully. Team members even fight fires (that are often started by wildlife criminals trying to force animals towards a trap).

These teams need our support now more than ever. Communities, elephants, and other wildlife rely on this protection. Our responsibility to protect global biodiversity requires an all-hands on deck approach. IEF is committed to these animals and habitats and together we can secure their future.

Conservation Chats: Your Direct Link to the Field

Not everyone is lucky enough to meet project leaders and innovators in person, so the International Elephant Foundation developed our monthly Conservation Chats. These free virtual events bring conservationists to you where you can learn directly from them and even ask questions.

We have some incredible guests coming up that you will not want to miss:

June 17th at 9am PDT: Sarah Maisonneuve of Wildlife Connection (Tanzania)

July 22nd at 9am PDT: Susie Weeks of the Mount Kenya Trust

September 25th at 9am PDT: Dr. Joshua Schiffman & Lisa Abegglen of Peel Therapeutics

Attendance is Free!

Close Encounters of the Endangered Kind

Episode 14: Marine Rangers, Hippos, and Lebron

By Tricia Berry

Off we went the next morning in the pitch dark with our driver KK at the wheel. Using a portable spotlight, Derek and Mike searched for wildlife both looking for eyes reflecting the light as well as the bulk of the animal itself. It’s quite startling to find multiple elephants staring at you in the dark as they’re feeding with their families by the side of the road. We had warthogs passing by and calm but wary Cape buffalo looking at us as we passed. As we approached the Nile, the sun rose over the Savannah behind us. Joe murmured, “Incredible”.

We pulled to the side of the dirt track about an hour out to eat the huge spread of breakfast items that had been sent with us. Looking out over the grasslands leading to the Nile, Mike and Derek noticed that the massive herd of Ugandan Kob, a beautiful species of antelope spread out before us as well as some of the giraffes were all suddenly very still and looking in the same direction. The guys scanned the area with their binoculars and – sure enough – they pointed out two lionesses creeping…CONTINUE READING

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