Officials say there are only about 700 wild elephants left in Sumatra, and their numbers are dwindling due to an increase in poaching.
This elephant calf escaped poachers but not unscathed. The 1-year-old was rescued by conservationists on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia.
She was caught in a trap, and as her condition deteriorated, rescuers believed the rest of the herd abandoned her, thinking she wouldn’t survive.
Luckily, she was saved before poachers could find her in that trap and was taken to a veterinarian in critical condition.
Sadly, part of her trunk had to be amputated.
Officials say there are only about 700 wild elephants left in Sumatra, and their numbers are dwindling due to an increase in poaching.
They add that economic problems from the COVID-19 pandemic have caused many villagers to turn to poaching as a way to make money.
The Sumatran elephant is considered a critically endangered species, but at least one elephant was saved from the grips of a poacher’s trap.
And after treatment and care, she’ll hopefully be able to help her species survive in the future.
