Rare Sumatran elephant found dead in Indonesia

A critically endangered Sumatran elephant was found dead at a farmland in Indonesia's Aceh province on Wednesday, and an investigation is underway to find out the cause of the death, a police officer and an official said, reported Xinhua.

The farmland is situated in Mila sub-district of Pidie district, the Mila sub-district police's chief Asyari revealed.

The body of the male Sumatran elephant is still intact, with its ivories still existing, the police officer said.

He said that a herd of wild elephants often trample on farming areas, causing anxiety among the residents, local media reported.

A team of veterinarians has been sent to the scene to investigate the cause of the death, head of the Provincial Natural Resources Conservation Center Agus Arianto said.

"When the elephant died and what is the cause of it, we are still waiting for the result of the examination," he said.

However, the official said that the destruction of the mammal habitat could trigger conflicts with humans leaving disadvantages to both sides.

The Sumatran elephant is a sub-species of Asian elephant which is extremely rare at present with their number just over 2,000 based on the estimation in 2000.

The Sumatran elephant is found exclusively in Sumatra Island, and their population has severely edged down as they have lost more than 80 percent of their habitat due to deforestation.