InfoSAWIT, SIAK – A herd of 13 wild elephants reportedly damaged staff housing facilities at PT Arara Abadi in Siak Regency, Riau, on Sunday (Feb 22, 2026), highlighting rising human–wildlife conflict in the region.
The incident is believed to be linked to disrupted elephant migration corridors due to land-use changes in forested areas.
“This incident indicates that elephant migration routes have been disrupted due to land-use conversion from natural forests to industrial plantation forests,” conflict resolution practitioner Ahmad Zazali said in a written statement, as reported by InfoSAWIT on Thursday (Feb 26, 2026).
He noted similarities with previous cases involving elephant deaths within plantation areas in the Tesso Nilo landscape, underscoring the growing risk of human–wildlife conflict in Riau. (T2)
