Jakarta, March 12 -- President Prabowo Subianto has allocated a budget of Rp839 billion (US$48 million) to build fences and embankments around Way Kambas National Park, Lampung Province, as an effort to address the long-standing human-elephant conflict in the area.

The policy was announced by Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni after attending a limited meeting chaired by the president at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Thursday.

"Several months ago, a village head was trampled by an elephant as the elephant attempted to cross villages, housing complexes, or agricultural land," Antoni said, describing one potential human-elephant conflict in Way Kambas.

He noted that the construction plan was a directive from President Pra...