Southeast Asian floods set to threaten more wildlife due to climate change
Environmental crimes and poor oversight are also worsening the risks faced by animals and trees
Humans were not the disaster’s only casualties. On November 29, villagers in an isolated part of Aceh, Sumatra, discovered a dead elephant buried in mud after the severe flooding.
A resident told Indonesian news agency Antara that elephants had never been seen in the village before and said the animal was believed to have been swept downstream from forested areas upstream after heavy rain and flooding.
For conservationists, the discovery is a sign of how climate-driven extremes are further affecting long-degraded landscapes, pushing wildlife into unfamiliar terrain and increasing the risks of conflict, exploitation and loss.
Experts warn that such shocks have a multiplier effect across the region, weakening ecosystems already strained by deforestation and development and creating new challenges not just for conservation but also for law enforcement.