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Elephants Threatened by Hemorrhagic Septicemia
Bengkulu - Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus) in Seblat Elephant Conservation Center in North Bengkulu district are threatened by an outbreak of Hemorrhagic Septicemia in water buffalos living in the region.
“Hundreds of water buffalos owned by locals living around Seblat Elephant Conservation Center have died because of the disease,” said the coordinator of elephant caretakers in Seblat, Mahyudin.
He said hundreds of water buffalos free-ranged by the local people have died and are thrown into Seblat River.
There is a concern that live infected buffalos free-ranged in the area will pass on the disease to elephants in the center.
“So far there is no sign of disease in our elephants, but we are worried the water buffalos might approach our elephant herd because they are free-ranged,” said Mahyudin.
Dr. Ernisuyanti Musabine, a veterinarian from Bengkulu Natural Resources Conservation Agency responsible for the care of 18 elephants in the center, said the disease could affect elephants.
”Since there has been no report of the case so far in Indonesia, we do not vaccinate elephants,” she said.
She said that throwing hundreds of dead water buffalos into the river is very dangerous for other animals because transmission through water is very quick.
Moreover since every day elephants trained in the center rely on water from Seblat River for drinking and bathing.
”Dead buffalos or cattle must not be disposed into the river, but buried or burned,” she said.
Besides elephants, Hemorrhagic Septicemia could also infect deer and wild boars. (K-RNI/E001/S026)
Source : Antara