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Elephant deforestation threats

The Sumatran elephant the smallest of the Asian elephants, is critically endangered from illegal logging and habitat loss from huge palm oil plantations. Palm oil is used in hundreds of food and household products in the UK.

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Elephants 'forced into villages by deforestation'

Critically endangered wild Sumatran elephants are being forced into villages as their forests are destroyed to make way for palm oil plantations, according to environment campaigners.

Deforestation for palm oil plantations mean elephants are forced to look for food in villages, and crop plantations. Credit: Jim Wickens/Ecologist Film Unit

As forests shrink, elephants are increasingly close to fields and cultivated land - instead of eating the produce of the forests they increasingly eat and destroy crops grow by local small-scale farmers.

Raja, a wild baby Sumatran elephant, has been captured by locals. Credit: Jim Wickens/Ecologist Film Unit

This generates conflict with humans that often results in poisoning or capture for the elephants.

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