House Deputy Speaker Urges Forestry Ministry to Investigate Tapir Killing in Lampung

Police have arrested four of six perpetrators involved in the killing of a tapir that appeared on the Trans-Sumatra Highway in Mesuji, Lampung. Deputy Speaker of House Commission IV Alex Indra Lukman urged the Ministry of Forestry to educate the public in the wake of the incident. “Given that the conservation area falls under the authority of the Ministry of Forestry, we urge the Ministry to immediately conduct education for communities living adjacent to these conservation areas,” Alex said when contacted on Saturday (4/7/2026). He considered it necessary to investigate the tapir killing further. By doing so, he said, the Ministry of Forestry could determine whether the incident was due to public awareness or a lack thereof. “An investigation is needed to ascertain whether this was intentional or due to ignorance, but going forward the Ministry of Forestry must implement an education programme for this purpose,” he stated. It was previously reported that police arrested four of six perpetrators who killed a tapir that appeared on the Trans-Sumatra Highway in Mesuji, Lampung. The four arrested suspects are Ketut Suwarne (50), Wayan Supatre (30), Tri Suharyanto (45) and Made Putra Yasa (43). Before it was killed, the tapir had caused a stir among residents after being recorded walking along the East Sumatra Highway in the Register 45 area, Mesuji Regency, Lampung. The animal is suspected to have strayed from its habitat before it was eventually found dead and dismembered. The perpetrators were arrested in the early hours of Friday (3/7/2026) after a video of the animal’s slaughter went viral on social media.