Efforts to save Sumatran elephants and tigers from extinction gathered steam in Indonesia, with government officials and experts vowing to find ways to protect the species' dwindling habitat from loggers, farmers and poachers, according to ap. More than 100 people took part in the three-day meeting that ended Friday. «There is a very real danger that Sumatran elephants (and tigers) could become extinct in our lifetime,» said Christy Williams of the World Wildlife Fund, stressing the importance of identifying and preserving crucial forested areas. Saving these animals «strongly depends on saving their remaining habitat,» said Elisabet Purastuti, the group's coordinator for elephant conservation. Satellite images show that 8 million hectares (20 million acres) of Sumatra island's remaining lowland tropical forest _ the species' primary habitat _ were lost to logging, farming and other changes in land use from 1990 to 2000, conservationists say. Sumatran elephants have declined by approximately 35 percent over the last 15 years, from 2,800 to 5,000 in 1992 to 2,400 to 2,800 this year, WWF-Indonesia said. Only an estimated 400 Sumatran tigers are believed to be left. The meeting in Padang, West Sumatra was organized by the Indonesian government and brought together Indonesian officials, aid workers, international and local scientists, and members of the business community. Participants agreed to come up with an action plan within three months.
