A baby Sumatran elephant has died after losing half of its trunk to a trap set by poachers in Indonesia. The baby elephant succumbed after infection spread through his body.
His herd left the critically endangered one-year-old calf after being caught in the snow trap. It was found by villagers in the town of Aceh Jaya and taken to a conservation agency for treatment.
Conservation officials say they tried to save his life by amputating his trunk, but it was too late as they discovered an infection caused by the injuries.
“We could not save it because the injury was severe and infected,” said Agus Arianto, the Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Agency head.
The Sumatran elephant is regarded as a critically endangered species due to the rapid growth rates of deforestation and its natural habitat in Borneo and Sumatra.
Male elephants are particularly vulnerable to poachers because of their highly valued teeth sold at the illegal ivory market.
The death of the calf is the most recent in a series of poaching-related deaths. In July this year, the last incident was when an adult elephant was found decapitated with its teeth cut off.
