Four Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus) named Abu, Mido, Ajis, and Noni were deployed by the Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA Aceh) to help clear debris following flash floods in Pidie Jaya, Aceh. The four trained elephants from the Saree Elephant Training Center (PLG) in Aceh Besar were also tasked with removing piles of timber and heavy materials. Their presence highlights an irony: an ecological disaster that damaged elephant habitats has instead mobilized these animals to clean up the remnants of destruction in environments that are, fundamentally, also their living space.
Professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FKH UGM), Professor Raden Wisnu Nurcahyo, stated that deploying four Sumatran elephants to assist in post-disaster debris clearance poses significant risks to the animals’ health and welfare.
Field conditions filled with timber, building debris, sharp, rusted materials, and decomposing animal carcasses can expose elephants to infectious diseases.
“In fact, deploying elephants to clear post-disaster debris violates the principles of animal welfare. Why? Because the elephants are essentially being treated as laborers,” he explained during an interview on Saturday (Dec. 13).
Professor Nurcahyo assessed that the deployment of elephants at disaster sites also violates the Five Freedoms of animal welfare, which should be upheld. These include freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury, and disease, freedom to express normal behavior, and freedom from fear and distress.
According to him, the use of elephants can only be justified in extremely urgent situations when heavy machinery is unavailable or access to the location is difficult.
“Using elephants is only acceptable if excavators are not available or cannot reach the site. But in this case, the elephants were transported by truck. Why not use the truck to carry an excavator instead? Why deploy elephants? It doesn’t seem urgent,” he said.
He outlined several health risks elephants may face when forced to remove debris and heavy materials in disaster areas. Beyond the risk of physical injury, elephants working in extreme environments are also highly susceptible to stress.
He noted that exhausted elephants may refuse commands from their handlers and could become agitated, seeking to return to safer conditions such as wallows, water sources, or feeding areas.
“Their activities are generally limited to eating, resting, or occasional patrols. Therefore, placing them in extreme post-disaster conditions poses serious risks to both their health and safety,” he said.
Furthermore, he explained that unmanaged stress in elephants can develop into behavioral disorders and aggressive tendencies that may endanger handlers and the elephants themselves. This situation underscores the need for clear limits regarding elephants’ capacity and safety when working in hazardous terrain.
“If forced continuously, elephants can become stressed, fall ill, and exhibit wild behavior. They could injure others or themselves. In extreme conditions, repeated stress can even lead to death,” he warned.
Professor Nurcahyo recommended that relevant authorities promote the use of elephants in safer and more educational roles. One option, he suggested, is involving elephants in psychosocial activities at evacuation sites, particularly for children who are disaster survivors.
Such initiatives could serve as an important educational medium to raise awareness and understanding, especially among children, about forest and wildlife conservation through environmental education. He emphasized that this approach reflects harmony between humans, wildlife, and nature as a foundation for ecosystem sustainability.
“Forests do not belong solely to humans, but to all living beings. Humans, wildlife, and nature must coexist so that elephants are preserved, communities prosper, and habitats remain healthy,” Professor Nurcahyo concluded.
Author: Cyntia Noviana
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Salma
Photograph: Antara