Forestry Minister: Elephant SRAK Must Become Real Action, Not Just a Document

Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni has officially launched the Sumatran Elephant Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (SRAK) as part of a tangible effort to strengthen protection, insisting it must not become merely a document. Speaking at the launch in Jakarta on Wednesday, which coincided with World Elephant Day observed every 12 August, the minister stressed that the SRAK for the Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus) must be executable on the ground. “We must oversee this together so that it does not become a merely theoretical document, but one that is executable. It must be implemented consistently and with commitment to improve the population and habitat of Sumatran and Kalimantan elephants,” said Minister Raja Antoni. He noted that conservation challenges are increasingly severe, with the number of elephant habitat pockets shrinking from around 42 to just 21, which prompted the government to strengthen the action plan outlined in the SRAK document. The minister also highlighted President Prabowo Subianto’s concrete commitment to conservation, evidenced by the commencement of the Peusangan Elephant Conservation Initiative (PECI) in Aceh and the issuance of Presidential Instruction Number 8 of 2026 concerning the Acceleration of Protection and Rescue of Sumatran and Kalimantan Elephant Populations and Habitats. In Way Kambas, the government is also promoting strengthened human-elephant coexistence efforts, including the construction of a fence spanning more than 100 kilometres to reduce conflicts that have caused damage to rice fields and plantations, as well as fatalities. The minister stated that the success of the SRAK requires cooperation between the government, communities, corporations, NGOs, and conservation activists, expressing hope that its implementation will improve the population and habitat of the Sumatran elephant as part of a long-term effort to strengthen wildlife conservation in Indonesia.