Baby Elephant Dies after Falling Prey to Poacher’s Trap
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After falling prey to a poacher’s trap in Indonesia, a baby Sumatran elephant loses half its trunk and dies two days later due to an infection from its injuries.
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The calf was found by villagers in the town of Aceh Jaya (EPA)
After being caught in a poacher’s trap, the critically endangered one-year-old baby Sumatran elephant was left behind by its herd. Villagers later found it in the town of Aceh Jaya and brought it in for treatment.
Conservation officials say they tried their best to save its life by amputating the trunk, half of which it lost in the trap, but to no avail. The baby elephant succumbed to an infection from its injuries two days later.
"We couldn't save it because the injury was severe and infected," Agus Arianto, head of the Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Agency said. "We did our best to help it."
The Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus) is a subspecies of the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). It is the biggest land animal in Indonesia and is found on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.
It is considered a critically endangered species due to rapid rates of deforestation in its natural habitat.
Male elephants are especially vulnerable to poachers because of their highly-prized tusks, which are sold on the illegal ivory market.
The calf's death is the most recent in a string of poaching-related deaths. The latest incident was in July this year, where an adult elephant was found decapitated with its tusks ripped off.
