Government to Prepare a Special Presidential Instruction to Save Sumatra's Elephants

The government is preparing a draft Presidential Instruction, or Inpres, to safeguard the Sumatra elephant population. One of the largest mammals, their habitat in the wild is shrinking. The Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, said the Inpres is urgently needed as Sumatra’s elephants are experiencing habitat fragmentation. He noted that there were previously 44 elephant habitat pockets in Sumatra, but these are now dwindling.

“In my first week as minister, there were 12 pockets left, and a month later 11,” the minister said in Pekanbaru, on Thursday (5 March).

The Inpres, he said, will focus on reconnecting the remaining elephant habitat pockets that are separated. “We will connect the pockets of elephants that remain and also strengthen connectivity within the habitat pockets,” he added.

He attributed the shrinking number of habitat pockets to illegal practices in forest areas. This has caused elephant habitats to become fragmented and isolated.

The Sumatra elephant population, the minister asserted, is endangered. The remaining number is around 1,200 individuals spread from Aceh to Lampung.

Additionally, the government is paying attention to illegal poaching of Sumatra elephants. “Illegal poaching for tusks must be continually anticipated,” he concluded.

Now, several welfare facilities for the animals have been realised at PLG Sebanga. The penalties include a minimum of three years’ imprisonment and a maximum of fifteen years, and fines from Rp 200,000,000 to Rp 5,000,000,000.

The importance of a certificate as legal protection for farmers. According to him, without legal certainty there is a risk that land could be taken by others. He emphasised that the quality of facilities reflects the management of the area.

The first pilot project to mobilise new sources of funding into the national park system was carried out at Way Kambas National Park, Lampung Province, Sumatra.