Inp.polri.go.id - Banda Aceh. The Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) has issued an urgent safety warning to residents in Bener Meriah Regency after a wild Sumatran elephant encounter left a local farmer dead on Saturday. 

The victim, 53-year-old Mussahar, succumbed to severe chest and jaw injuries at a Bireuen hospital after being trampled while tracking elephant footprints near his corn plantation in Pantanlah Village.

"We urge the public to remain vigilant and refrain from approaching or attempting to drive away wild elephants independently as their behavior is unpredictable," said BKSDA Aceh Head Ujang Wisnu Barata on Sunday (22/2/2026), as quoted by antaranews.com.

The agency noted that recent hydrometeorological disasters and damaged mitigation barriers have likely forced elephants out of their natural habitats and closer to human settlements. 

Specialized response teams have been deployed to monitor the herd’s movements, though the area remains temporarily restricted for safety. Sumatran elephants are currently classified as critically endangered, with authorities emphasizing that reporting sightings to officials is the only safe way to mitigate human-wildlife conflict.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)