An eight-year-old girl has died after being trampled by a herd of elephants as she was fleeing home with her family in the West Rumbai district in Indonesia.
Her family were fleeing from elephants
According to the Jakarta Post, Jakarta Globe, and the Asia News Network, 8-year-old Citra and her family fled their semi-permanent home in West Rumbai after her father, Sardo Purba, heard a small herd of elephants approach nearby on Friday, October 31.
The girl fell in the elephants’ path
As the family of six attempted to flee their wooden home in fear that the elephants would tear it down, the eight-year-old tragically fell into the massive animals’ path.
“One of them was very aggressive,” Citra’s father, 36, told the Jakarta Globe.
One of the elephants chased the family
“We ran to the cornfield, but it chased us. My second child was caught and trampled,” Sardo recalled of the incident.
The child suffered a fracture in her skull and several broken bones. She spent three days in a coma before succumbing to her injuries on November 7.
Police spoke about the incident
West Rumbai Police Chief Said Khairul Iman told Jakarta Post, ”I visited her family to pay my respects.” He noted that police are currently coordinating with the Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) to prevent similar future attacks.
“We are working to guide the elephants back to their habitat so they no longer endanger local residents.”
The agency warned the local community
As for its response, the BKSDA warned the local community to be cautious when coming across wild elephants in the area.
“We have coordinated with the police and local authorities to ensure the situation remains under control,” it said per Asia News Network.
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It asked residents not to engage aggressively
“We urge residents not to act aggressively or provocatively toward the wild elephants. While we understand the fear and shock among the community, aggressive actions could worsen the situation,” the BKSDA added.
They’re keeping an eye on the wild animals
“Our team is closely monitoring the elephants’ movements to ensure the herd returns safely to its natural habitat,” the agency said.
“We have also advised residents to report any elephant sightings immediately to the BKSDA or local authorities,” they concluded.