Wanted to protect a field

Pregnant woman trampled to death by elephant in Indonesia

According to the authorities, encounters between humans and elephants are becoming increasingly common there - the animals' habitat is dwindling.(Bild: AFP)

A pregnant villager has been trampled to death by a herd of elephants on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The woman had been trying to protect her family's farmland from the wild animals.

The incident took place on Sunday in the south of the island in the district of Muara Lakitan. The region is known for its large population of wild elephants, which often roam in herds of up to 100 animals.

The woman had banged on canisters to drive the pachyderms away with the noise. "But instead of retreating, the elephants attacked her, which led to her death," said police chief Muhammad Karim.

Pachyderms raid fields
According to the authorities, encounters between humans and elephants are becoming increasingly common there. There are reports of elephants raiding fields every few months. However, fatalities are rare. The case of the pregnant woman is now to be investigated more closely.

Elephant habitat is dwindling
The police have warned against confronting elephants. According to conservationists, the animals are suffering above all from their dwindling habitat because more and more areas are being cleared and used as fields, for example.