Sumatran bridge project in elephant habitat may exacerbate degradation

Yusuf Bahtimi, a researcher with the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), who has studied the peatlands and elephants of the eastern coast of Sumatra for years, said there needs to be a science-based strategy to safeguard the ecosystem while still allowing for economic development.

Short of that, he said, “[i]t’s very likely that we will lose the elephants in this landscape in the future.”