A heavily pregnant Sumatran elephant, a critically endangered subspecies, was found dead of suspected poisoning near a palm plantation in Indonesia’s Riau province on the island of Sumatra, officials said Friday.
The expansion of palm plantations in Sumatra has led to conflicts between humans and animals. Authorities found pineapple in the elephant’s stomach, even though pineapples are not grown in the area. At least seven Sumatran elephants have died in Riau province in the last three years.