Indonesian elephants tasked to help in flood recovery spur conservation debate

When the Indonesian island of Sumatra was struggling to recover from devastating floods last week, local authorities in Aceh turned to an unconventional form of help to clear debris: elephants. The move to deploy four trained elephants in Pidie Jaya Regency, however, has drawn mixed reactions, with some experts praising the effective response to extreme conditions and others criticising it due to the risks faced by the critically endangered species. Triggered by days of torrential rain last...