JAKARTA - AN ELEPHANT calf has starved to death in Indonesia, the eighth endangered Sumatran elephant to have died in the wild since May, environmental group WWF said on Thursday.

WWF spokeswoman Syamsidar said the calf was believed to be the offspring of an elephant which was poisoned to death recently in the latest sign of growing conflict between animals and people over land and forest resources.

'A young male elephant died on Wednesday. We suspect it was the offspring of the elephant who recently died because of poisoning,' she said.

'It was about two years old and still needed its mother's milk.'

The calf was found dead in Sumatra island's Lazuardi forest, Riau province, near a forest concession area owned by a company called Rimba Peranap Indah.

Five of the eight elephants have died near or inside the concession area.

Three were killed for their tusks and four were poisoned after eating palm oil plants doused in toxic chemicals.

'Some people are trying to protect their palm oil crops in the area by pouring insecticides on the plants. Maybe it's not intentional but it has killed a few elephants,' Syamsidar said.

Conflicts between wild animals and humans are on the rise on Sumatra, where legal and illegal logging is rapidly reducing the tropical jungle.

There are about 2,400 to 2,800 Sumatran elephants in Indonesia, of which 200 to 250 are in Riau, according to WWF. -- AFP